Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) issued the following statement on the retirement announcement by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, who will be retiring at the end of the present session of the U.S. Congress:

    Rodney is an outstanding member of Congress who has served his country with honor both as a veteran of the Vietnam War and through 12 terms in Congress. Continuing a family tradition of public service that dates back to the founding of the country, he has been especially influential in serving citizens of New Jersey through the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and after the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, ensuring that residents were properly supported by the federal government in their greatest hours of need.

    Rodney helped set up key protections for the New Jersey Highlands, which serves as an important source of drinking water in a heavily-populated region, by introducing the Highlands Conservation Act which was signed into federal law in 2004. He has also been an effective advocate for the needs of military veterans, and those with disabilities and mental illness.

    I wish to commend Rodney for his years of public service and I wish him all the best as he departs Congress at the end of this year. He will be sorely missed.