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Trenton Monitor article on New Jersey March for Life'Thousands gather in Trenton for annual New Jersey March for Life'

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Mary Stadnyk, Associate Editor
Published October 9, 2026

Thousands of pro-life advocates gathered at the New Jersey Statehouse Annex in Trenton Oct. 8 for the annual Rally and March for Life, calling on lawmakers to protect women and unborn children.

PHOTO GALLERY: NJ March for Life

The event brought together people of all ages, including pro-life organizations from every diocese in the state, as well as Catholic school and parish delegations. Speakers included state legislators, representatives of the National and New Jersey March for Life organizations and faith leaders, including Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney from the Paterson Diocese. The day included the added focus of supporting mothers facing difficult pregnancies.

Pro-life advocates carry signs proclaiming “Life Is a Gift” as they participate in the New Jersey March for Life in Trenton Oct. 8. The march followed the third annual Mass for Life, bringing together Catholics and other supporters from across the state to witness publicly to the dignity and value of human life.

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ, 4th District), a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, described the March for Life as “an engraved invitation to all of us to seriously recommit and rededicate ourselves, with love and compassion, to tangibly assist women – especially through the extraordinary work of pregnancy care centers – in order to protect their precious babies and their own lives from the violence and cruelty of abortion.”

“We are a people of persevering faith in God, willing to bear any burden and endure any attack,” the congressman said. “We know that the cruel injustice of abortion need not be forever and that each day, despite setbacks, many unborn children and their mothers have, are and will be protected. We have hope. We have much work to do.”

Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, highlighted the historic significance of gathering in Trenton during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. She recalled George Washington’s victory in December 1776, which helped turn the tide of the American Revolution and renewed hope for the young nation.

“Just months earlier, our founders had proclaimed that our unalienable rights come not from government, but from our Creator, beginning with the right to life,” Tasy said.

“Today, 250 years later, we gather in that same historic city, at the doorstep of our state house, to defend that founding principle,” she said, urging participants to continue speaking out, standing firm and working to protect every human life.

Reiterating that New Jersey continues to pursue policies that expand abortion and deny meaningful protection for unborn children, Tasy emphasized the importance of elected officials hearing from the people they represent.

“The New Jersey March for Life is a powerful reminder that there is a strong and compassionate pro-life movement throughout our state who remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting mothers and their unborn,” she said.

Father James O’Neill, pastor of St. John Parish in Lakehurst and Ocean County’s Respect Life chaplain, said the annual gathering demonstrates the solidarity of New Jersey’s pro-life community.

“Even though New Jersey has several million residents, I marvel at how (it) feels like a close-knit community at the Mass for Life and Rally for Life,” he said.

Father O’Neill referred to the Rally for Life as an event that extends beyond “us Catholics to include our non-Catholic neighbors.”

“The exuberance of the evangelical speakers suggests to me that God is in charge and eagerly desires that we all be one,” he said, adding “A common cause for life is one of the ways that God can unite us together in his Church as we help those having difficulty with the Fifth Commandment to receive mercy and choose life.”

This article was published on October 9, 2026 and can be found online at: https://trentonmonitor.com/2026/10/09/thousands-gather-in-trenton-for-annual-new-jersey-march-for-life/

EWTN News article featuring Smith's commentary'Transnational online scam operations on the rise, U.S. State Department says'

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Amira Abuzeid
Published October 9, 2026 at 5:18 PM ET

The State Department released its 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report on Oct. 8, showing criminal organizations and repressive governments are using trafficking for profit in new ways.

The report, released more than three months after the June 30 deadline, said the spread of industrial-scale online scam operations “pose a direct threat to US national security.”

Transnational crime organizations, mostly run by Chinese nationals and long based in Southeast Asia, have moved into Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, destabilizing local communities and cheating people out of billions of dollars each year, according to the report.

Fraudulent online romance, gambling, and cryptocurrency schemes have defrauded people in more than 125 countries, with Americans, the primary targets, losing at least $18.2 billion in 2025 to compounds operating out of Southeast Asia, according to the report.

Credit: Pungux/Shutterstock

The organizations recruited people from at least 80 countries over the past few years through fraudulent schemes, often pushing them into forced labor and holding them in guarded compounds and manipulating them through violence, sexual exploitation, intimidation, and other acts. They are often coerced into committing crimes, the report found.

The report, an annual assessment required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, covers April 1, 2025, through March 31.

The State Department said it relied on information from embassy reporting, government officials, nongovernmental and international organizations, published reports, news articles, and other sources.

The State Department said that governments that fail to punish traffickers and protect victims should be held accountable.

12 governments cited

Twelve governments are cited in the report for a “policy or pattern” of state-sponsored human trafficking: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, and Sudan. This designation covers “trafficking in government-funded programs, forced labor in government-affiliated medical services or other sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, or the employment or recruitment of child soldiers.”

Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, the department listed 14 countries whose forces or state-backed militias recruited or used children in any capacity during hostilities, including as sex slaves: Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Among country rankings reported so far, Israel returned to Tier 1, the highest category, for the first time since 2021, after five years on Tier 2. The Republic of Congo was downgraded to Tier 3, the lowest, for failing to meet minimum standards and not making significant efforts. A Tier 3 listing can restrict certain U.S. assistance, including security assistance, the report said.

A Tier 1 ranking does not mean that a country has no human trafficking. Instead, according to the report, “a Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has made efforts to address the problem … and met the TVPA’s minimum standards.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, said in a statement on Oct. 8 that the report’s findings are “a stark reminder that modern-day slavery remains a global scourge — and that governments must be held accountable when they fail to protect vulnerable people.”

“Human trafficking is an assault on human dignity and freedom,” the congressman wrote. “The United States must continue to use every tool at its disposal — including the TIP Report — to expose human trafficking whenever it rears its ugly head, protect survivors, and press foreign governments to end this blight upon humanity.”

“China remains on Tier 3 — the lowest ranking,” Smith continued, “reflecting its continued failure to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use and enabling of forced labor — including the systematic exploitation of Uyghurs and other persecuted minorities — is deeply troubling and deserves the greatest level of scrutiny.”

“Moreover, the horrific, ongoing consequences of China’s one-child per couple policy can still be seen and felt today, as the Report notes that a gross disparity — tens of millions more boys than girls — has driven the demand for commercial sex trafficking and coercive marriages in the country,” Smith wrote.

“Governments on Tier 3 — including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Burma, Belarus, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, Sudan, South Sudan, and Venezuela — can and must do more. Tier 3 must never become a permanent designation; it should serve as a dire warning and a call to action,” Smith wrote.

This article was published on October 9, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/transnational-online-scam-operations-on-the-rise-u-s-state-department-says

“The cruel injustice of abortion need not be forever”: Rep. Smith addresses crowds at 2026 New Jersey March for Life

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The following are excerpts of remarks delivered by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, at the 2026 New Jersey March for Life in Trenton, NJ:

I met my dear wife, Marie, more than fifty years ago in the pro-life movement. We spent many days lobbying here at our state capital. Today, like you, we remain hope-filled.

Special thanks to Marie Tasy for her extraordinary leadership, courage, wisdom and tenacity in the defense of the weakest and most vulnerable. Thank you to each and every one of you for being here.

Today’s March for Life is an engraved invitation to all of us to seriously recommit and rededicate ourselves, with love and compassion, to tangibly assist women—especially through the extraordinary work of pregnancy care centers—in order to protect their precious babies and their own lives from the violence and cruelty of abortion.

We stand in absolute solidarity with First Choice Women’s Resource Center and remain encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous 9-0 decision last April.

As you know, pregnancy care centers are on the front lines of providing compassionate care to mothers and their precious children—offering free support and resources, which can range from pregnancy tests and ultrasounds to parental education programs and lactation consultations, and much more.

30 Members of the House and Senate and I had asked the Supreme Court to send a clear message to New Jersey and other states that this kind of bullying and infringement of constitutionally protected freedoms be given no sanction.

Regrettably, New Jersey has not respected the Supreme Court decision. Tragically, pregnancy care centers are under siege, especially here in NJ, while abortion clinics flourish—since 1970, Planned Parenthood has killed more than 10.6 million babies by abortion nationwide—almost 1,200 every single day. That’s more than the entire population of New Jersey, exterminated by just one organization.

NJ’s discrimination against pregnancy centers because they refrain from promoting or participating in the killing of unborn children by abortion is an unconscionable abuse of power. It is utterly shameful that New Jersey would go to these lengths to strip women of life-affirming options and support.

It motivated the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act of 2025 (HR 2226), federal legislation I introduced to prohibit federal, state and local governments from discriminating against the nearly 2,700 pregnancy care centers across the United States.

Each and every one of these centers is an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, and respect, offering quality care for both mothers and their precious children. Yet state governments, like New Jersey, and some lawmakers seek to discriminate against pregnancy care centers by violating fundamental conscience rights to compel complicity in abortion.

Fifty years ago, last week—on September 30th, 1976—Congress first enacted an amendment offered by the late, great Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois to prohibit federal Medicaid funds from being used to subsidize the killing of unborn children by abortion.

During debate in the House, Henry said: “An innocent, defenseless human life, in a caring and humane society, deserves better than to be flushed down a toilet or burned in an incinerator. The promise of America is that life is not just for the privileged, the planned, or the perfect.”

The Hyde amendment continues to ensure that this promise is still true today.

According to Dr. Michael J. New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, approximately 2.7 million people are alive today—and each year, another 60,000 evade abortion and survive—because of Henry Hyde’s amendment.

That’s 2.7 million people—who would have otherwise been aborted if taxpayers paid for their demise—who have experienced the joys and challenges and given the opportunities to thrive.

It’s truly sad that far too many politicians—who know or should know better—have abandoned unborn children and their mothers to the violence of abortion. With respect and a deep sense of urgency, I—we—ask them, including Governor Sherrill, to rethink and reconsider.

Listen to others who once shared your view, but upon seeing the humanity of the child in the womb, changed. Listen to NARAL founder and abortionist turned pro-lifer Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine: “I am deeply troubled by my own increasing certainty that I had in fact presided over 60,000 deaths.”

Listen to former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic director Abby Johnson, who wrote: “I was asked to participate in an ultrasound-guided abortion procedure… And I watched in horror as a 13-week-old baby fought and struggled for his life against the abortion instrument. I knew that there was humanity in the womb, and that what I had seen was the taking of an innocent human life. I realized I was on the wrong side of this debate, and so I ended up leaving.”

Listen to Dr. Anthony Levatino: “I don’t remember exactly how long it was after Heather’s death [his 6-year-old daughter died in a car accident], but I started to perform a second-trimester abortion… and I got sick. For the first time, I didn’t see a right to choose, and I didn’t see what a wonderful doctor I was helping the patient with her problem. I didn’t even see the $800 I had made in just 15 minutes. All I could see was somebody’s son or daughter.”

Listen to former abortionist Dr. Kathi Aultman: “I recognized that the innocent victim in all of this was the baby. Being unwanted was no longer enough justification for me to take the child’s life. And that was the end of my abortion career.”

Listen to Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who, after having two abortions, became a powerful right to life leader and wrote a book entitled: How Can the Dream Survive If We Murder the Children? ABORTION IS NOT A CIVIL RIGHT!

And listen to Elizabeth Gillette, who, after being pressured by Planned Parenthood to take the abortion pill, wrote: “I found myself on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood until I ended up expelling the entire amniotic sac with my baby — a recognizable baby inside. The trauma from this horrific experience still follows me today in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder. This is nothing like what they told me would happen.”

That abortion pill—mifepristone—kills the baby by starving the child to death, while other methods of abortion dismember and decapitate the baby.

We now know that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women. The Ethics and Public Policy Center conducted the largest-known study of the abortion pill ever and is based on analysis of data from an all-payer insurance claims database that includes 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023 and found that 10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.

The real-world rate of serious adverse events following mifepristone abortions is at least 22 times as high as the summary figure of “less than 0.5 percent” in clinical trials reported on the drug label.

Bottom line: we are a people of persevering faith in God, willing to bear any burden and endure any attack. We know that the cruel injustice of abortion need not be forever and that each day, despite setbacks, many unborn children and their mothers have, are, and will be protected. We have hope. We have much work to do.

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TAPInto Middletown article on Smith-led survey of Nor'easter damage'Rep. Smith Leads Survey of Nor’easter Damage Along Monmouth and Ocean County Shore'

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Jeanne Wall
Published October 3, 2026 at 1:46 AM

MONMOUTH AND OCEAN COUNTIES, NJ — In the aftermath of last week’s powerful Nor’easter, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith led a group of federal, state and local officials on a tour of several shore communities to assess damage caused by flooding, erosion and severe weather.

The tour included stops in Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head and Ocean Gate, where officials examined the condition of beaches and coastal infrastructure and discussed both immediate needs and longer-term strategies to better protect the communities from future storms.

Smith was joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 2 Administrator Chris Hartnett; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Joe Seebode; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Ryan A. Baum; USACE New York District Project Manager Jason Shea; New Jersey State Police Operations Officer Major James Boland; Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden; Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy; NJ Legislative District 10 Assemblyman Paul Kanitra; Ocean County Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione; Manasquan Mayor Mike Mangan; Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis; Ocean Gate Mayor Robert Curtin; and other elected and municipal officials.

Rep. Smith Leads Survey of Nor'easter Damage Along Monmouth and Ocean County Shore. Photo Credit: File Photo

The group surveyed areas affected by the storm while discussing the challenges facing the individual communities and the steps that could be taken to strengthen coastal protection.

“Today, an impressive, comprehensive group of experts—with extensive backgrounds in environmental, structural engineering, and beach replenishment initiatives—came together to not only survey the severe damage wrought by last week’s Nor’easter, but also to collaborate on creative solutions for immediate needs and future resilience efforts,” Smith said.

Local officials came prepared to show the federal and state representatives the specific impacts their communities experienced and to discuss potential improvements.

“Municipal officials and local leaders came fully prepared, offering tangible examples of the damages they sustained and providing ideas for new initiatives that could bolster their towns’ resilience against future storms,” Smith said.

The tour also provided an opportunity to look at how investments and protective measures implemented following previous storms have affected the latest storm's impact.

Officials noted that although the Nor’easter caused damage in the communities visited, existing protections helped mitigate some of the effects in certain areas.

That experience is providing another opportunity for officials to evaluate what has worked, where additional improvements may be needed and how communities can prepare for increasingly severe coastal weather.

Smith said the participation of federal, state and local representatives demonstrated the importance of cooperation when addressing storm damage and coastal resilience.

“I am truly encouraged by the intergovernmental partnership and determination demonstrated today,” Smith said. “Building upon what we’ve learned from previous storms and tapping into the continued knowledge and expertise shared today, I look forward to working alongside our great state and local officials to strengthen our shore communities’ resilience and preparation for future severe weather events.”

The survey comes as shore communities continue to assess the effects of the Nor’easter and consider both short-term recovery needs and future projects aimed at protecting homes, businesses, beaches and critical infrastructure.

This article was published on October 3, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/middletown/sections/around-new-jersey/articles/rep-smith-leads-survey-of-nor-easter-damage-along-monmouth-and-ocean-county-shore

Rep. Smith, Sen. Lankford lead over 125 lawmakers in letter urging HHS Inspector General to investigate Planned Parenthood

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) today led 126 Members of Congress in sending a letter to T. March Bell, the Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging his Office to review and investigate the activities and federal funding streams of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and its affiliates.

“Serious concerns have long been raised regarding the organization’s compliance with applicable federal laws, regulations, and program requirements governing the receipt and use of federal funds,” the Republican lawmakers write.

“In particular, these concerns relate to whether Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and the organization’s affiliates have adhered to applicable requirements governing program integrity, financial accountability, and the proper use of funds provided through HHS-administered programs,” they continue.

Rep. Smith, Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said: “Planned Parenthood should not receive taxpayer dollars. Since 1970, it has killed over ten million unborn babies in its clinics—and today exterminates over 1,000 unborn babies every single day. Moreover, as the author of our Nation’s first anti-human trafficking law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) (PL 106-386), I remain deeply concerned by Live Action’s credible accusations against Planned Parenthood involving its affiliates’ enabling of human sex trafficking. In addition to reports of covering up and perpetuating sexual exploitation and abuse, Planned Parenthood has been haunted by allegations of trafficking fetal tissue, fraudulently using federal funds, and violating health codes. Aided by allies in Congress, the media, and academia, Planned Parenthood has largely escaped scrutiny and accountability, all while fostering a culture of death, denial, disrespect and discrimination against babies. It is long overdue for a comprehensive investigation and review, and I urge the HHS OIG to look closely to determine whether it has violated federal standards for federal funding recipients.”

Sen. Lankford, Chairman of the Senate Values Action Team (VAT), said: “Congress has taken action to ensure taxpayer dollars are not funding organizations that perform abortions, but our work to protect taxpayers and ensure federal law is followed does not stop there. Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have faced serious allegations involving the use of federal funds and compliance with federal law. Those allegations deserve a thorough review. The HHS Inspector General should follow the facts, determine whether federal laws and funding requirements have been violated, and hold accountable anyone who has misused taxpayer dollars.”

In the bicameral letter—first reported by Fox News Digital—the 128 lawmakers cite the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) recent investigation into “whether Planned Parenthood affiliates illegally received $88 million in loans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” and they raise concerns about “other reports of fraud, making false statements, violating federal criminal laws, and knowingly failing to disclose violations of criminal law.”

The Members of Congress further note that “given the significant taxpayer resources that flow through federal health and human services programs, it is critical that recipient organizations operate with transparency, integrity, and full compliance with federal standards.”

The lawmakers go on to urge IG Bell to review the funding streams for Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, including HHS programs, grants, contracts, or subawards; assess whether the organization and its affiliates have complied with applicable statutory, regulatory, and grant conditions associated with those funds; and determine what enforcement actions may be warranted if misconduct—such as waste, fraud, abuse, misrepresentation, or other violations affecting federal health programs—is identified.

“We also ask that the OIG coordinate with relevant oversight bodies within the Department, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of Management and Budget, to ensure a comprehensive review of the organization’s activities. Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health programs and safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” the co-signatories conclude.

Cosigners (128): Aderholt, Robert; Alford, Mark; Arrington, Jodey; Babin, Brian; Baird, James; Banks, Jim; Bice, Stephanie; Biggs, Andy; Biggs, Sheri; Bilirakis, Gus; Blackburn, Marsha; Bost, Mike; Brecheen, Josh; Britt, Katie Boyd; Budd, Ted; Burchett, Tim; Burlison, Eric; Cammack, Kat; Cline, Ben; Cloud, Michael; Clyde, Andrew; Cramer, Kevin; Crane, Elijah; Crapo, Mike; Cruz, Ted; Daines, Steve; Davidson, Warren; Downing, Troy; Ernst, Joni; Estes, Ron; Ezell, Mike; Fedorchak, Julie; Feenstra, Randy; Finstad, Brad; Fischbach, Michelle; Fischer, Deb; Fitzgerald, Scott; Fleischmann, Charles; Flood, Mike; Fong, Vince; Foxx, Virginia; Franklin, Scott; Fulcher, Russ; Gill, Brandon; Goldman, Craig; Gooden, Lance; Gosar, Paul; Graham, Darline; Grassley, Charles; Griffith, H.; Grothman, Glenn; Guest, Michael; Hageman, Harriet; Haridopolos, Mike; Harris, Andy; Harris, Mark; Harshbarger, Hawley, Josh; Diana; Hern, Kevin; Higgins, Clay; Hill, J.; Houchin, Erin; Hudson, Richard; Hyde-Smith, Cindy; Jack, Brian; Jackson, Ronny; Johnson, Dusty; Jordan, Jim; Joyce, John; Justice, James C.; Kelly, Mike; Langworthy, Nicholas; Lankford, James; Latta, Robert; Lee, Mike; Letlow, Julia; Lummis, Cynthia M.; Mann, Tracey; Marshall, Roger; McDowell, Addison; McGuire, John; Messmer, Mark; Miller, Mary; Moody, Ashley; Moolenaar, John; Moore, Barry; Moore, Blake; Moore, Riley; Moore, Tim; Moran, Nathaniel; Moreno, Bernie; Norman, Ralph; Onder, Robert; Palmer, Gary; Patronis, Jimmy; Perry, Scott; Pfluger, August; Ricketts, Pete; Risch, James; Rogers, Mike; Rose, John; Rounds, Mike; Rouzer, David; Roy, Chip; Rulli, Michael; Rutherford, John; Schmidt, Derek; Scott, Austin; Scott, Rick; Self, Keith; Sessions, Pete; Shreve, Jefferson; Simpson, Michael; Smith, Christopher; Stauber, Pete; Steube, W.; Strong, Dale; Stutzman, Marlin; Tenney, Claudia; Thompson, Glenn; Tuberville, Tommy; Van Epps, Matt; Weber, Randy; Webster, Daniel; Westerman, Bruce; Wilson, Joe; Womack, Steve

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Fox News Digital exclusive article on Smith-led letter'EXCLUSIVE: 128 GOP lawmakers call for federal probe into Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding'

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Jasmine Baehr
Published October 2, 2026 at 5:30am EDT

FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of 128 Republican lawmakers is pressing the federal government to scrutinize Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding and potentially launch an investigation into the organization and its affiliates.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., led the bicameral effort, asking Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General T. March Bell to review Planned Parenthood's federal funding and determine whether the organization and its affiliates have complied with federal laws and funding requirements.

"We write to request that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) review and, if appropriate, initiate an investigation into the activities of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. and the organization's affiliates," the lawmakers wrote.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., speaks during an event on Capitol Hill. Smith and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., led 128 Republican lawmakers in asking the HHS inspector general to review Planned Parenthood’s federal funding and activities. (Getty Images)

Their request casts a rather wide net.

The lawmakers want the OIG to scrutinize funding flowing through HHS programs, grants, contracts and sub-awards and determine whether evidence exists of fraud, waste, abuse, misrepresentation or other violations affecting federal health programs.

If misconduct is uncovered, they want the watchdog to consider consequences ranging from administrative remedies and suspension to exclusion from federal healthcare programs or referrals to other authorities.

"Planned Parenthood and its affiliates have faced serious allegations involving the use of federal funds and compliance with federal law. Those allegations deserve a thorough review," Lankford said.

Republican lawmakers are asking the HHS inspector general to review Planned Parenthood’s federal funding and compliance with federal requirements. (Boston Globe via Getty Images, File)

"The HHS Inspector General should follow the facts, determine whether federal laws and funding requirements have been violated, and hold accountable anyone who has misused taxpayer dollars," he added.

The push comes as the Small Business Administration (SBA) separately reviews more than $88 million in COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans received by 38 Planned Parenthood affiliates.

The lawmakers cited the SBA action in their letter, characterizing it as an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood affiliates "illegally received $88 million" in pandemic loans. SBA has described its action as a review of whether the affiliates were eligible for the loans. The review itself is not a finding that the affiliates violated the law.

But the lawmakers want federal scrutiny to go well beyond the pandemic loans.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., co-led a bicameral letter asking the HHS inspector general to review Planned Parenthood’s federal funding and, if appropriate, launch an investigation into the organization and its affiliates. (Getty Images)

They are asking the OIG to examine Planned Parenthood's broader HHS funding and coordinate with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on what they described as a "comprehensive review" of the organization's activities.

HHS-OIG told Fox News Digital Wednesday evening that it had not yet received the letter.

"We have not received the letter and will review it for appropriate action once received," HHS-OIG said.

Smith, co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said the scrutiny was "long overdue," citing allegations involving federal funding, reporting requirements, sexual exploitation and fetal tissue.

Activists opposing funding for Planned Parenthood demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, via Getty Images, File)

"It is long overdue for a comprehensive investigation and review, and I urge the HHS OIG to look closely to determine whether it has violated federal standards for federal funding recipients," Smith said.

The congressional letter also points to reports alleging failures to comply with mandatory reporting requirements involving suspected child abuse or neglect. The lawmakers are asking federal officials to examine those allegations. They have not been established as findings by HHS-OIG.

"Given the significant taxpayer resources that flow through federal health and human services programs, it is critical that recipient organizations operate with transparency, integrity, and full compliance with federal standards," the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers closed by asking OIG to coordinate across the federal government to conduct a "comprehensive review" of Planned Parenthood's activities.

"Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health programs and safeguarding taxpayer dollars," they wrote.

Planned Parenthood did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

This article was published on October 2, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-128-gop-lawmakers-call-federal-probe-planned-parenthood-taxpayer-funding

39 Members of Congress send letterSmith leads letter strongly supporting implementation of Pres. Trump’s EO on Protecting Vulnerable Newborn and Infant Children

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, led 38 Members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., fully supporting and urging the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on Protecting Vulnerable Newborn and Infant Children—issued during his first term—to protect premature infants from discrimination.

“All infants—especially those with disabilities or conditions requiring life-sustaining care after birth—deserve love, compassion, and equal protection under the law,” said Smith. “I am grateful for Sec. Kennedy and President Trump’s ongoing work to help those in need—and through the full implementation of the Protecting Vulnerable Newborn and Infant Children EO, we can continue to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us.”

In the bicameral letter, first reported by the Washington Examiner, the Republican lawmakers cite the heartbreaking case of McKenna West—a surrogate pressured to abort the baby she was carrying after a 20-week ultrasound diagnosed a serious, but treatable, heart condition—as evidence of “the need for quick federal action on this matter.”

Although Ms. West says that she faced pressure to abort from the baby’s biological parents, she refused and offered to raise the baby herself or find him a loving home. She relocated to Texas to be near a hospital equipped to provide the baby with lifesaving care after he was born. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in McKenna’s case, and a Texas judge issued an order directing that the baby receive life-sustaining care after birth and preventing his removal from the state of Texas.

“We are grateful that Texas law recognized and protected the rights and personhood of Ms. West’s surrogate baby and acted to save his life. Sadly, this protection is not uniform in all the states across our nation,” the Members of Congress write.

“Leadership from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is needed to ensure that all vulnerable infants receive equal protection under the law, instead of being at the mercy of health care systems that may unjustly declare them unworthy of life.”

The lawmakers then urge Secretary Kennedy to elevate the directives embedded within President Trump’s EO on Protecting Vulnerable Newborn and Infant Children—issued on September 25, 2020, and never formally rescinded by the Biden Administration—which clarifies that all individuals, including vulnerable infants, are protected under federal law, such as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) (42 U.S.C. 1395dd), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794), and The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (1 U.S.C. 8).

The co-signatories note that the directives for the HHS Secretary in the EO “offer important opportunities to ensure vulnerable newborns, including newborns with diagnosed disabilities, are receiving the care they deserve, no matter where in the United States they are born.”

They also urge Secretary Kennedy to consider reissuing a rule highlighting federal law protecting premature infants and adults with disabilities from discrimination. In January 2021, during President Trump’s first Administration, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) had issued a proposed rule, entitled “Special Responsibilities of Medicare Hospitals in Emergency Cases and Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Critical Health and Human Service Programs or Activities.”

House Cosigners (30): Reps. Smith (R-NJ), Cammack (R-FL), Wagner (R-MO), Aderholt (R-AL), Barr (R-KY), Biggs (R-AZ), Biggs (R-SC), Bost (R-IL), Brecheen (R-OK), Cline (R-VA), Cloud (R-TX), Clyde (R-GA), Estes (R-KS), Fulcher (R-ID), Grothman (R-WI), Harris (R-MD), Higgins (R-LA), Johnson (R-SD), Joyce (R-PA), Latta (R-OH), Mann (R-KS), McDowell (R-NC), McGuire (R-VA), Miller (R-IL), Moore (R-UT), Norman (R-SC), Onder (R-MO), Palmer (R-AL), Rose (R-TN), Thompson (R-PA)

Senate Cosigners (9): Sens. Lankford (R-OK), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), D. Graham (R-SC), Blackburn (R-TN), Lummis (R-WY), Justice (R-WV), Daines (R-MT), Banks (R-IN), Ricketts (R-NE)

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Smith leads intergovernmental survey of Nor’easter damage across NJ-04 shore towns

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a group of federal, state, and local officials and experts in surveying the extensive damage to Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head, and Ocean Gate beaches following last week’s severe Nor’easter, which caused significant flooding and beach erosion.

During the tour, which spanned both Monmouth and Ocean counties, Smith was joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 2 Administrator Chris Hartnett; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Deputy Commissioner Joe Seebode; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Ryan A. Baum; USACE NY District Project Manager Jason Shea; New Jersey State Police Operations Officer Major James Boland; Monmouth County Sherriff Shaun Golden; Ocean County Sherriff Mike Mastronardy; NJ LD-10 Assemblyman Paul Kanitra; Ocean County Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione; Manasquan Mayor Mike Mangan; Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis; Ocean Gate Mayor Robert Curtin; and numerous elected and municipal officials representing Manasquan, Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head, and Ocean Gate.

Smith noted that the federal and state representatives attending the tour were fully engaged and eager to find new ways to assist, boosting the level of teamwork between our federal, state, and local governments.

Many officials commented that while their towns sustained damage from the Nor’easter, it was largely mitigated in some areas due to preexisting protections implemented after previous storms.

“I am truly encouraged by the intergovernmental partnership and determination demonstrated today. Building upon what we’ve learned from previous storms and tapping into the continued knowledge and expertise shared today, I look forward to working alongside our great state and local officials to strengthen our shore communities’ resilience and preparation for future severe weather events,” concluded Smith.

From left to right: NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Joe Seebode, Bay Head Councilman Jim Gates, Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis, Bay Head Council President Dennis Shaning, Ocean County Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione, Rep. Chris Smith, USACE Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Ryan A. Baum, and FEMA Region 2 Administrator Chris Hartnett.

Rep. Smith with USACE NY District Project Manager Jason Shea.

Rep. Smith, NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Seebode, USACE NY District Project Manager Shea, Monmouth County Sherriff Shaun Golden, Manasquan Mayor Michael Mangan, Manasquan Councilman Brian Holly, and other federal, state, and local officials after surveying the beach erosion in Manasquan, NJ on October 2nd, 2026.

Rep. Smith, Assemblyman Kanitra, NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Seebode, Lt. Col. Baum, and Administrator Hartnett with local officials in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) stands with Ocean Gate officials. From left to right: Councilman Mark Haug, Councilman Rick Zeiser, Rep. Chris Smith, and Mayor Robert Curtin.

Nor’easter damage in Ocean Gate, NJ on October 2nd, 2026.

Nor’easter-induced beach erosion in Bay Head, NJ on October 2nd, 2026.

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The Washington Examiner exclusive article on Smith-led letter'Republicans ask RFK Jr. to protect disabled infants after McKenna West surrogacy battle'

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Gabrielle Etzel
Published October 2, 2026 5:00am ET

EXCLUSIVE — Congressional Republicans are ramping up pressure on the Trump administration to strengthen protections for infants born with disabilities following the heated custody battle between a California couple and their surrogate over a child born with a heart defect.

A total of 30 House members and nine senators from the anti-abortion wing of the GOP sent a letter, obtained by the Washington Examiner, to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday, requesting that the Trump administration create a federal standard for healthcare professionals to provide lifesaving care to infants born extremely premature or with life-limiting disabilities.

The letter, principally authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and leadership in the House Pro-Life Caucus, highlights the case of Alaska resident McKenna West, who contracted to be a surrogate for Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar.

At her 20-week ultrasound, West was informed that the fetus had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital defect in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. After the diagnosis, West traveled to Texas to secure life-saving care for the child upon birth, despite a directive from the biological parents to abort.

West delivered the child in Texas on Aug. 12, but the courts eventually ruled in favor of Ahmed and Gilkar taking full custody of the child to continue his care in California.

The congressional delegation highlighted the difference in Texas law, which encouraged life-saving interventions, and California law, which would only encourage palliative care, as indicative of the need for a federal standard.

“Leadership from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is needed to ensure that all vulnerable infants receive equal protection under the law instead of being at the mercy of a health care system that may unjustly declare them unworthy of life,” the delegation wrote.

In addition to the 30 Republican House members who signed onto the letter, four senators are seeking re-election in November: Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

Smith and his colleagues point to an executive order from President Donald Trump’s first term, in September 2020, as giving Kennedy the authority to “strengthen the protection available for vulnerable newborns and their parents.”

The Trump 1.0 executive order, which clarified that infants born with disabilities or in medical distress must be given stabilizing medical treatment under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, was not rescinded by former President Joe Biden.

The executive order, and corresponding HHS guidance drafted a few months later, came after HHS had investigated several cases in which hospital staff did not provide potentially life-saving care to severely premature infants despite the parents’ request for intervention.

Although modern medical interventions have allowed extremely premature infants to be born alive as young as 21 weeks of pregnancy, these exceedingly rare cases often result in the child requiring long-term neonatal intensive care. Severe premature birth increases the child’s risk of developing chronic conditions like lung disease, cognitive impairment, and vision or hearing loss.

The executive order’s corresponding proposed rule from the HHS Office of Civil Rights in January 2021, which was abandoned by the Biden administration, would have protected infants born premature or with significant disabilities and their parents from unlawful denials of emergency screening or stabilizing treatment.

The proposed rule would have also prohibited healthcare providers from making life and death medical decisions based on the perceived value or worth of the patient’s life with a disability and prohibited providers from steering patients towards end-of-life care on the basis of disability.

Revisiting the Trump 1.0 rule would not be the first time Kennedy and his team enforced an anti-abortion interpretation of EMTALA under the current administration.

EMTALA was at the heart of the Biden administration’s lawsuit against Idaho over the state’s strict prohibition on abortion, in which the Justice Department argued that terminating a pregnancy can constitute stabilizing care for the mother under the law. The Supreme Court ruled in 2024 to allow emergency physicians to carry out abortion procedures in Idaho despite the state’s ban.

In early 2025, Trump’s HHS Office of Civil Rights swiftly replaced Biden’s guidance on abortion protocols under EMTALA with a more anti-abortion interpretation of the statute.

Smith and his colleagues urged Kennedy to “evaluate and consider reissuing a rule” to standardize care for newborns with life-limiting conditions.

“We are eager to work with you to ensure our nation values human life, provides equal justice under the law, and respects the rights of individuals with disabilities,” the delegation wrote.

The Washington Examiner contacted HHS and the White House about the proposal.

This article was published on October 2, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/4750732/republicans-rfk-jr-protect-infants-disabilities-surrogacy-battle/

Washington Examiner Op-Ed by Rep. Smith'Over 2 million people are alive today because of one law — and Washington wants to kill it'

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By Rep. Chris Smith
Published September 30, 2026 at 5:00am ET

Fifty years ago — on Sept. 30, 1976 — Congress first enacted an amendment offered by the late, great Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois to prohibit federal Medicaid funds from being used to subsidize the killing of unborn children by abortion.

During debate in the House, Henry said: “An innocent, defenseless human life, in a caring and humane society deserves better than to be flushed down a toilet or burned in an incinerator.”

“The promise of America,” he said, “is that life is not just for the privileged, the planned, or the perfect.”

According to Dr. Michael J. New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, approximately 2.7 million people are alive today — and each year, another 60,000 evade the irreversible consequence of abortion and survive — because of Henry Hyde’s amendment.

Thanks to Henry Hyde, 2.7 million people — who would have otherwise been aborted — have experienced the joys and challenges of life and opportunities to thrive.

Beginning in 1981, I had the honor of serving alongside Henry Hyde in the House of Representatives.

He was brilliant, compassionate, tenacious, incredibly articulate, self-effacing, a man of great wisdom and humor — a one-of-a-kind lawmaker — who, to this day, remains the greatest defender of unborn children and their mothers.

He was so good at debate, you always wanted him to be your closer.

Henry believed sound moral principles and courage should inform and guide the decisions we make in government, and he addressed the 1990 class of incoming freshmen members of Congress with these words:

“This may sound odd, even ironic. You are here in the flush of victory. And yet it is precisely now that I ask you to contemplate the possibility of defeat — perhaps even the necessity of defeat. … If you don’t know the principle, or the policy, for which you are willing to lose your office, then you are going to do damage here.”

No one wants to lose an election. However, we do great “damage” when we sacrifice our core convictions on the altar of political expediency.

It’s truly sad that far too many politicians — who know better — have abandoned unborn children and their mothers to the abortionists for political gain or upward advancement.

The Hyde Amendment is under relentless legislative assault. Yet polling data consistently reflect what the 2026 Marist Poll found: A significant majority of people do not support taxpayer funding for abortion.

As pro-life advocates work to replace abortion violence — the culture of death — with compassion and empathy for women and children, the Hyde Amendment continues to stand as one of the most important human rights policies of the past 50 years.

However, the billion-dollar abortion industry continues to cleverly market the cheap sophistry of choice, while going to extraordinary lengths to downplay the suffering and pain experienced by the battered baby victims in the womb — as well as the coercion or pressure exerted on the mother to end the life of her unborn child.

The abortion pill — mifepristone — kills the baby by starving the child to death, while other methods of abortion dismember and decapitate the baby.

We now know that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women. The Ethics and Public Policy Center conducted the largest-known study of the abortion pill ever, and is based on analysis of data from an all-payer insurance claims database.

This database includes 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions from 2017 to 2023, and found that 10.93% of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.

The real-world rate of serious adverse events following mifepristone abortions is at least 22 times as high as the summary figure of “less than 0.5%” in clinical trials reported on the drug label.

Someday, future generations will look back and wonder how and why such a seemingly smart and enlightened society could have permitted and perpetrated the violent deaths of more than 66 million children by abortion, often with government authorization, enabling, and subsidy.

History will note, however, the struggle of Henry Hyde and the millions of pro-life advocates who joined him in his quest to protect and defend the rights of the weakest and most vulnerable.

Chris Smith is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District.

This article was published online on September 30, 2026 and can be found at https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4745667/hyde-amendment-2-million-lives-saved/