Legislation on parental abduction of U.S. children overseas, human rights issues in Vietnam and the crisis in the Congo was passed at the first bill mark-up of the 113th Congress by the House panel that oversees human rights chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). Three bills were approved in voice votes of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations: H.R. 1951, the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of ... Read more

Today U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), announced the introduction of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The legislation, which has been introduced as H.R. 7 in the House and S. 946 in the Senate, has the support of 95 cosponsors in the House and 21 in the Senate. Click here to read the text of the bill. Congressman Smith (NJ-04) said of the bills: “More than 100 Members... Read more

The British government’s refusal to conduct an inquiry into its collusion with paramilitaries responsible for murdering human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane was the topic of a hearing held Wednesday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees human rights. The British government committed to hold the inquiry in 2001, as part of the peace process following on the Good Friday Agreement. It has ever since evaded following through on its commitment, an... Read more

Ewen MacAskill in Washington for the Guardian The British government was heavily criticised at a US congressional committee on Wednesday for reneging on a pledge to hold an inquiry into one of the most controversial incidents of the Northern Ireland Troubles, the killing of Belfast civil rights lawyer Pat Finucane. The Republican chairman of the committee, Chris Smith, accused the British government of being guilty of a "massive injustice" by protecting "those responsible for the murder". The fa... Read more

The British government’s refusal to conduct an inquiry into its collusion with paramilitaries responsible for murdering human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane will be the the topic of a hearing held Wednesday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees human rights. The British government committed to hold the inquiry in 2001, as part of the peace process following on the Good Friday Agreement. It has ever since evaded following through on its commit... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) recently met with members of the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA). The members discussed a range of health issues—especially and including dental care. Among the items talked about was the advancement of oral health programs and ways to improve enhance public—private partnerships to benefit New Jersey’s seniors and others in need. They also reviewed legislative efforts to boost recommended dental care for low income individuals. The group is in Washington on b... Read more

In the wake of the jury verdict today in the murder trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the House Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, released the following statement: “With today’s murder convictions of Dr. Gosnell, we’ve got to encourage Americans to ask—how different really is Gosnell’s House of Horrors from abortions that occur in clinics throughout the country? Not much, not much at all,” said Smith. “There are Kermit Gosnells all over America—... Read more

Malia Rulon Herman, Gannett Washington Bureau - Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey continued to hammer the U.S. government Thursday over a string of international child abduction cases that remain unresolved, including several from his home state. "The status quo is simply not adequate," Smith said at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on global human rights and international organizations, which he chairs. Bindu Philips of Plainsboro, N.J., told committee members tha... Read more

The pain and suffering endured by “left behind” American parents as they work tirelessly to bring home their children who have been abducted to overseas destinations and wrongfully held was the sobering topic of a hearing held Thursday by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees human rights. “The damage to the child and the left behind parent is incalculable and too often life-long,” said Smith. “The children especially are at risk of serious emot... Read more

Written by Susan Bloom for the Asbury Park Press-- Urging greater research and investment into the prevention and treatment of Lyme disease, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., kicked off Lyme Disease Awareness Month on May 1 by announcing his introduction of bill that would establish a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. He also introduced a bill to fund up to $20 million for research in that area. Smith, who founded and co-chaired the Lyme disease caucus in Congress, said the bill would “pro... Read more