In the wake of the departure of the administration’s point man on Sudan, two leading human rights advocates in the United States House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), today called for President George W. Bush to appoint a special envoy to Sudan so the U.S. can help push the peace process forward in Darfur and bring lasting peace and stability to Sudan. Read more

U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) was honored with an award today by the Autism Society of America for his legislative work to increase efforts that will help lead to a cure for autism, which includes authoring laws to increase research so that effective treatment and prevention strategies can be implemented. “I am truly grateful for this award. The Autism Association of America is among the leading grassroots organizations that help children and families with autism. Many of our efforts to... Read more

Slavery remains an unresolved issue in Sudan, and the U.S. needs to do more to end it, according to Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith who introduced legislation this week aimed at eliminating the horrific practice of bondage and human trafficking in that war-torn African nation. Read more

Small loans made available to entrepreneurs abroad are changing lives for the better in some of the world’s poorest countries, but more can be done to build on these successes, according to U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who chaired a hearing on the issue of microfinance today. “Microenterprise focuses on helping the most impoverished people of the world to build themselves up, little by little, into self-sufficiency by providing them with access to financial services like small loans and savings... Read more

A special U.S. envoy for Sudan is needed to help usher in peace and stability in that war-torn nation according to Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith who met with the President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, on Capitol Hill today. Read more

U.S. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) today introduced legislation to eliminate the reimbursement requirements for Americans who are evacuated from overseas when their lives are endangered. Smith is chairman of the subcommittee that oversees State Department operations and Payne is the ranking Democrat member. Read more

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, today expressed disappointment in the decision of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to reject the recent petition to investigate the plight of workers in China. Smith and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) were the two members of Congress to join the AFL-CIO in its filing of a Section 301 petition with the USTR supporting worker’s rights in China. Read more

July 19, 2006MR. SMITH of New Jersey: Mr. Speaker, the events in Lebanon during the past week are yet another wake-up call to those who have perhaps complacently thought or believed that the global war on terrorism has somehow abated. It has not. Israel is, in fact, on the front lines of this war as we meet. Mr. Speaker, we all know there is nothing whatsoever benign or noble or praiseworthy about the terrorist groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah and their state sponsors Syria and Iran. They not ... Read more

July 19, 2006MR. SMITH of New Jersey: Mr. Speaker, never in my 26 years as a Member of Congress have I seen so much hyperbole, misinformation and misattribution of success as in the embryonic stem cell debate. Despite recent revelations of massive fraud by prominent stem cell researchers in South Korea, despite the fact that there hasn't been anything even close to success of any kind in treating any human being anywhere in the world with embryonic stem cells, despite all of this and so much mor... Read more

As reports show that cases of Lyme Disease have skyrocketed in New Jersey and other parts of the northeast, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) convened a Lyme summit, meeting with Julie Gerberding, national director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other lawmakers, doctors and activists to discuss ways patient and physician needs could be better met. Read more