Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, was selected for another two-year term as Vice Chairman of the Committee on International Relations today.  

    Smith, a tireless human rights advocate throughout his tenure in Congress, has written several key laws and bills relating to international issues and has chaired scores of hearings dealing with human rights abuses.  Prior to becoming vice chairman two years ago, Smith completed a six-year stint as Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights. 

    “I am honored to again receive a key leadership position on the International Relations Committee,” Smith said.  “As Vice Chairman, I will continue to push the Congress to fight international human trafficking, work to protect international human rights throughout the globe, promote critical foreign assistance, and work to strengthen counterterrorism measures.” he added.  

    Smith is the author of the landmark Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Law (PL 106-386), the first U.S. law that deals specifically with human trafficking.  The law gives prosecutors new resources to prosecute traffickers and provides aid to help victims rebuild their lives.  It also encourages foreign countries to work to end trafficking by reporting on the state of trafficking in these nations each year and by withholding non-humanitarian aid to the worst offending nations. 

    Smith wrote the Embassy Security Act (PL 106-113) following the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998.  This law authorized the investment of billions of dollars in measures to better fortify foreign outposts.  And he wrote the provision of the law that prohibited British Police in Northern Ireland from training with U.S. law enforcement until it was certified that the police cleaned up their record of human rights abuses.  The certification was granted by President Bush in late 2002. 

    This Congress, Smith is already working to pass his bill that will reauthorize the U.S. microcredit program which provides small business loans to people in developing nations – most of whom are women – who want to improve life for them and their families by starting a small business. 

    He also plans to continue to work on legislation to provide debt relief to developing nations as well as bills that would promote human rights throughout the world.