U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), who was already scheduled to travel to New York for top level U.N. meetings on Monday, called a U.N. investigative report linking high-ranking Syrian officials to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and twenty others “extremely troubling” and joined President Bush in calling for the U.N. Security Council to convene a Security Council session “as quickly as possible.” Read more

U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, Chairman of the Committee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations will travel to New York on Monday for a day of meetings at the United Nations. Smith’s Committee has Congressional jurisdiction over the U.N. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), dean of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation, spearheaded a letter asking President Bush to grant the state’s request to declare New Jersey a federal disaster area. The letter was signed by each member of the New Jersey delegation in the House of Representatives. Read more

U.S. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) today announced that he has secured a $998,641 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Lakewood Public School District. The Teaching American History Grant was created to help teachers develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of American History so that they can enhance instruction thereby increasing student achievement. At the request of Ms. Lisa DiEugenio – Director of Resource Development for the Lakewood School District – Smith had supported the funding and in June sent a letter to the Department of Education. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the first Trafficking Victims Protection Law and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (H.R. 972), joined Mira Sorvino and other members of the cast of “Human Trafficking” at their Washington, DC screening last night at the Ronald Reagan Building. The miniseries, which will premiere on October 24 and 25, brings to light the issue of human trafficking – the sale of human beings into modern day slavery. Lifetime adopted the project as part of its Emmy Award winning campaign entitled “Stop Violence Against Women.” Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Sunday joined local officials including Harry Conover, the county’s emergency management coordinator, and Tom Powers, Freeholder Director, to assess areas of Monmouth and Ocean Counties that were severely damaged by floods. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the affected areas as flooding continued to spread late last week and on Saturday. Read more

The House Committee on International Relations today passed U.S. Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (H.R. 972), legislation that strengthens the nation’s current trafficking law (also authored by Smith), authorizes new funds for investigation and prosecution of domestic trafficking within the United States. Smith’s bill – which will now be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives for passage – ensures that the United States will continue to lead the global battle against modern-day human slavery. According to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will provide $354 million to combat trafficking. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is optimistic that the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act – which passed the House of Representatives on Thursday night – will benefit New Jersey by allowing a more risk based spending formula. The bill, which provides homeland security funding for fiscal year 2006, will for the first time allow the Bush Administration – namely Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff – to distribute the majority of first responder grants based on the risk of terrorism. Read more

At a press conference this morning overlooking the Capitol, Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers called on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to allow the Senate to vote on H.R. 2520 / S.1317 – The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act. Smith was joined by medical experts and doctors from around the country, patients – mostly children – that have been cured by cord blood infusion, and by Hall of Fame basketball star Julius "Dr. J" Erving – who has fought for expansion of this therapy with the CORDUS Corporation, a company focused upon providing proven high quality umbilical stem cell therapeutics to patients in need. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Committee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing to study the terrible situation facing India’s 250 million Dalits and tribal peoples. The Dalits, better known as “untouchables,” and other tribal peoples are treated as virtual non-humans, and suffer pervasive discrimination and violation of their human rights. Smith, a champion of human rights causes since being elected to Congress, held the oversight hearing on Thursday afternoon. Read more