The Township of Colts Neck in Monmouth County received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has awarded more than $2 million to help pay for clean up costs that resulted from Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) said today. The decision will provide $2,042,540 in Federal funding to Colts Neck for costs incurred by the loading, hauling, grinding, and disposal of the huge amounts of debris from Superstorm Sandy. Wind damage from the Oct. 30, 2012 storm leve... Read more

One-hundred and forty Members of Congress appealed in a letter to President Obama to seek congressional authorization prior to putting U.S. military personnel in harm's way in Syria: Dear Mr. President, We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria. Your responsibility to do so is prescribed in the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. While the Founders wisely gave the Office of the President the aut... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today announced the awarding of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant for Lakewood Airport. The $220,500 grant will be used for the removal of obstructions both on and off airport property that now interfere with runway 6/24. “These federal dollars designated for debris removal will significantly improve Lakewood Airport operations, allowing planes to more safely use the facility, which serves as an key attribute for the Lakewood Office Industrial Park and... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) met with Chasing NJ reporter Ronica Cleary yesterday on the banks of the Delaware to discuss the impact of Lyme disease in New Jersey. Chasing NJ had also attended an event held by Smith to mark National Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Smith, who founded and co-chaired the Lyme Disease Caucus in Congress, has introduced legislation to establish a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. The bill will promote development of new and improved diagnostic tests, boost su... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today announced that Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) will be the new Co-Chair of the Congressional Taskforce on Alzheimer’s Disease. “As we continue to push for key initiatives to assist those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, I am pleased to welcome Rep. Maxine Waters as the new Co-Chair of the Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force,” said Smith, who joined then-Rep. Ed Markey in creating the bipartisan Task Force in 1999 and has co-chaired it ever since. “Rep. Waters has ... Read more

A legislative effort by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) to restrict the passports of U.S citizens who have been convicted of sex crimes against children took a leap forward today when it was unanimously approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Smith wrote an amendment which is now part of the U.S. State Department authorization bill, H.R. 2848, which is expected to be on the House floor in September. It grants the Secretary of State discretion to limit the valid duration of passports for c... Read more

Legislation on the deteriorating state of human rights in Vietnam was overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives today. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) authored the bill, called Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013. H.R. 1897 would institute measures to improve human rights in Vietnam by prohibiting any increase in non-humanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam above Fiscal Year 2012 levels unless the government makes substantial progress in establishing a democracy and promoting human... Read more

A hearing to review the U.S. programs designed to help developing countries produce clean drinking water was held today by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the U.S. House subcommittee on global health. Featuring top U.S. government officials overseeing water programs, the hearing was entitled "The Impact of U.S. Water Programs on Global Health." Testifying were: Christian Holmes, Global Water Coordinator, U.S. Agency for International Development; Aaron A. Salzberg, Ph.D., Special Coordinator... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a leading voice on foreign affairs and human rights in the U.S. Congress, spoke on the House floor today in support of the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013. “The Iranian government is estimated to be a little more than a year away from becoming a nuclear weapon state – an unprecedented and absolutely unacceptable threat. We need this legislation to strengthen existing economic sanctions,” said Smith, co-chair of the Bi-Partisan Anti-Semitism Task Force and cha... Read more

The African diplomatic corps officially presented recommendations for the reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to members of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. “In the reauthorization process for AGOA, we want to make some improvements so that a successful program can extend more benefits to an even broader number of businesses,” said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the subcommittee. Smith told... Read more