The American Jewish Committee will honor Congressman Chris Smith at its annual Global Forum in Washington, D.C. April 27-29 for his longtime efforts to fight anti-Semitism. “AJC’s annual Congressional Leadership Award will be presented this year to Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) for his indefatigable efforts to combat worldwide anti-Semitism, rescue Soviet Jewry in the 1980s, and defend human rights,” the AJC stated in an April 24 announcement. Over 1,000 participants from across the United States and ... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) met with members of the Baha'i Delegation from the Fourth Congressional District of New Jersey during the April recess at his Hamilton office. The group came to discuss the Iranian government's persecution of the Baha'is in Iran and to express its appreciation for Smith's longtime support of human rights at home and abroad. From the left are local members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is: Rodney Richards of Yardville, Bob Weber of Allentown, Congressman Sm... Read more

The following article about Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) and his work on anti-Semitism, human trafficking, child abduction and other humanitarian issues was published in the most recent April edition of the Lakewood Scoop: "Rep. Chris Smith, a leading human rights lawmaker in the U.S. Congress, was presented with a “Man of Distinction Award” by the Monmouth County Jewish Federation at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, N.J. ... ." To read the entire article click on: http://www.thela... Read more

By Ellen Ratner Having just returned from Sudan (see last week's column), I made the usual rounds of telling people the story of what I had seen. My traveling partners and friends, Diane Gooch and Tony Sayeg, arranged for us to meet with House of Representatives Chairman Chris Smith. Chairman Smith, R-N.J., heads up the subcommittee on Africa. Under normal circumstances, we would most likely not agree on what day it is. He is about as conservative as you can be, and I am about as liberal. Howeve... Read more

The Belarus Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2011, a bill to support people struggling for basic rights against Aleksandr Lukashenka—the man often called Europe’s last dictator—was approved today by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “The bill supports targeted sanctions,” said Smith, a senior member of the Committee and the Chairman of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also called the Helsinki Commission. “It expresses the sense of the Congress to deny the privilege of v... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith spoke in support of H. Con. Res. 36, a measure to block federal monies from going to Planned Parenthood in H.R. 1473, the appropriations bill for federal departments and agencies for the remainder of 2011 fiscal year: "In its slick TV ads and PR blitz, the billion-dollar-a-year abortion giant Planned Parenthood appears to be hiding something. "Could it be they are hiding the dismaying fact that just one organization—Planned Parenthood—today performs over 25% of all aborti... Read more

“A repeatedly-delayed presidential election and a subsequent runoff election failed to end longstanding political and civil unrest in that West African nation,” said Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04) at a hearing of the House Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee today. “Despite the arrest of sitting President Laurent Gbagbo this week, there remain obstacles to the return of peace and prosperity to Cote d’Ivoire. “Cote d’Ivoire had been one of the region’s most stable governments and an... Read more

Legislation to support people struggling for basic human rights in Belarus—often called Europe’s last dictatorship—was approved today by the House Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee. “The fraudulent December 19, 2010 election in Belarus and the ongoing crackdown on democracy activists and independent journalists by the Lukashenka dictatorship underscore the need for this legislation,” said Rep. Chris Smith author of the legislation and chairman of the subcommittee panel. “Immedi... Read more

Rep. Chris Smith, a leading human rights lawmaker in the U.S. Congress, was presented with a “Man of Distinction Award” by the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County today at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, N.J. “All of us recognize that anti-Semitism is a unique evil,” said Smith, a senior member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Bi-Partisan Anti-Semitism Task Force. “I was 12-years-old when I met a Holocaust victim with my father. He rolled... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith joined firefighters at the Trenton Firemen’s Benevolent Association Local 206 and Local 6 at their Annual Firemen's Night Out & Valor Award at the Nottingham Fire Company's ballroom in Hamilton Township, NJ. Two city firefighters, Privates Anthony Moran and Kevin Rice, were given valor awards for a daring water rescue of a man in June 2010. Another firefighter, Mike Szenak was given a award in appreciation of his volunteer work for local functions. Fourteen retiring firef... Read more