Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who has announced that he will vote against authorizing President Obama’s plans for military strikes in Syria, will instead introduce a resolution to create a Syrian War Crimes Tribunal as an alternative. “There is a compelling, moral imperative to immediately establish a comprehensive way to hold accountable all those on either side, including Assad, who have slaughtered and raped in Syria,” Smith said. “Tho... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) appeared as a guest on EWTN's news program "The World Over" Thursday to discuss President Obama's plan to attack Syrian. The New Jersey Congressman is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He and host Raymond Arroyo talked about the debate in Congress on a potential U.S. military action in Syria after the recent use of chemical weapons in that country's bloody civil war. They also talked about Smith's plan to introduce a bipartisan Syrian War Cri... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who plans to vote against the House resolution next week to authorize the use of U.S. military force in Syria, today directly asked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pointed questions about evidence justifying use of force, as well as about the duration and planning of the military action. Though Kerry did not answer Smith questions, the Congressman announced his legislation to create a Syrian War Crimes Tri... Read more

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