Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also called the Helsinki Commission, addressed a human trafficking conference sponsored by the U.S. State Department entitled "Building Bridges to Freedom." Other speakers included Martin Fowke, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, and Eleanor Gaetan, of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. To read Congressman Smith's remarks, click here. Smith is author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Prote... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith of Robbinsville, NJ visited a Mercerville, NJ elementary school this week to speak about his experiences in public office and events in Washington, DC. He was invited by student Brian Marion, an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Sorrows School on the East State Street Extension, to address about 100 middle school-age students. Smith discussed numerous issues, including his faith, recent cases of international child abduction, Lyme disease, healthcare, the federal law-making pr... Read more

Representatives Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), House co-Chairmen of the Bipartisan, Bicameral Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, today announced the introduction of H.R 1897, the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act of 2011. Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) are co-sponsors of the bill. The bill would increase the federal government’s commitment to Alzheimer’s research by requiring the National Institutes of Health to create a strategic plan to expedite therap... Read more

The Chinese government’s renewed crackdown on its own people, including extremely harsh treatment of human rights leaders—many of whom are missing—was detailed at a Capitol Hill hearing today held by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), the chairman of the congressional panel that oversees international human rights. “The human rights situation in China has gone from abysmally bad to worse,” Smith said. “In fact, we’ve not seen this level of blatant violations of human rights since the crackdown on Tiananm... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), Chairman of the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission) today reiterated the urgent call for the British government to launch a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 1989 murder of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane without further delay. Smith, a leading American human rights lawmaker, chaired a Helsinki Commission hearing, “Northern Ireland: Why Justice in Individual Cases Matters,” in mid-March and met with Owen Pa... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) met with a group of constituents from Freehold, NJ who traveled to Washington May 5. The visitors included Deputy Mayor of Freehold Eugene Golub and his wife Arlene, who led the group. Also present was former Monmouth County Freehold Director Barbara McMorrow, who currently serves as an elected Freehold Township Committeewoman. Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed landmark legislation by Congressman Chris Smith, HR 3, "The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” to permanently prohibit taxpayer funding for abortion across all federal programs. The bill passed by a vote of 251-175. Congressman Smith (NJ-04), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, vigorously delivered several speeches in support of the bill during debate on the House floor. Smith's remarks on HR 3 can be read by clicking on: A... Read more

The ten year anniversary of the creation of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities was celebrated today by leaders in the fight against autism, an illness that impacts one of every 110 children in America and an estimated one in 94 in New Jersey. Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chair the Congressional Coalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE), was a guest speaker at the event today at PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. “The cost of c... Read more

The release of the 2011 annual report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) shows that freedom of religion continues to be under attack in many countries, said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a leader on human rights issues in Congress. The Obama Administration must give higher priority to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy, he said. “Religious freedom is threatened around the world, and the situation is getting worse,” Smith sa... Read more

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) presented Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) with its 2011 Leadership Award last night for his work on anti-Semitism and other humanitarian issues at its 2011 Global Forum. "For 30 years, Chris Smith has been our friend, ally and a tireless advocate for human rights," said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs, who presented the award at the opening session of the AJC Global Forum. "As Co-Chair of the Helsinki Commission, Chris organize... Read more