BY JONATHAN SALANT OF STAR LEDGER/NJ.COM - "To my shock, they have not gotten support from the administration," said Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. "They need help." Iraqi troops are trying to repel the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, from the territory they control. The Islamic State has massacred Christians and others under their rule. The Christian community in the region dates back... Read more

CNS - A bill authored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, that will give the presidential administration and the U.S. State Department new tools, resources and training to help counter extremism and combat a worldwide escalation of persecution of religious minorities has been signed by President Barack Obama. The Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act was approved Dec. 13 by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law Dec. 16. “From China and Vietnam to Syria and Nigeria, we are... Read more

4:11 p.m. EST December 16, 2016 - ASBURY PARK PRESS - Neptune, NJ The 21st Century Cures Act provides us all with an example of how government should work, and how effective and productive bipartisanship can be. Now if lawmakers could only apply some of that same spirit to ease the bitterness surrounding Obamacare that threatens to undermine much of the good work that could come out of the Cures Act, we’d all be much better off. The newly signed $6.3 billion legislation includes several initiat... Read more

BY BILL SPADEA, Radio Host at NJ101.5 - Today marks the 75th anniversary of the surprise attack by the Japanese on our Naval base in Pearl Harbor. It occurred to me that this particular anniversary has not received as much attention as prior anniversaries. Perhaps it’s because there are fewer and fewer World War II survivors, maybe it’s that the schools spend more time on correcting kids speech instead of teaching the real history that helped forge our great nation. Either way, it was a pivotal... Read more

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/12/09/autism-tracking-device-bill-house/23109/BY MICHELLE DIAMENT - DEC. 9. 2016 Legislation that would provide tracking devices and resources to help kids with autism and other developmental disabilities at risk of wandering is one step closer to becoming federal law. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 346 to 66 Thursday to pass the measure known as Kevin and Avonte’s Law. The bill would expand an existing program that helps people with Alzheimer’s dise... Read more

By Jerry Carino, APP Staff Writer - For decades, Wall resident Pat Smith has implored the medical establishment to acknowledge the existence of chronic Lyme disease. On Wednesday, her quest took a big step forward. The House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act, a comprehensive health care bill that would establish a national working group on Lyme disease. The 14-member panel would include physicians with experience in treating tick-borne diseases, Lyme patients and advocates for... Read more

The following is a letter to the editor by Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, the Executive Director of the advocacy group, Autism New Jersey based in Robbinsville, NJ: As Congress reconvenes to finish the year, we urge our representatives in the House of Representatives and Senate to support the passage of Kevin and Avonte’s Law (H.R. 4919/S. 2614), which would allow Justice Department grants to help protect children with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and seniors with A... Read more

The Associated Press Posted: Dec. 1, 2016 8:00 am MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AP) — Lawmakers say some 600 civilian employees at New Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst are getting pay raises next year. U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Tom MacArthur say the Office of Personnel Management on Wednesday issued rules to adjust the wages to reflect the higher cost of living in the New York metropolitan area instead of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst is i... Read more

By Erik Larsen of the Asbury Park Press - An estimated 600 civilian employees are getting a raise. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued final regulations Wednesday that will adjust the wages of Joint Base staff so their pay takes into account the higher cost of living in the New York metropolitan area rather than the Philadelphia metropolitan area, according to a joint statement from U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., who both advocated for the change. Previously, the fe... Read more

By Carol Comegno, Courier-Post Staff Writer - Hundreds of civilian employees will be getting a holiday present—an automatic raise in their pay scales to bring them in line with the higher federal scale of the New York region. The shift to a higher compensation scale will benefit 600 federal Civil Service workers on the Army and Air Force sections of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County on what used to be Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. It will bring them to parity with... Read more