US Lawmakers, Chinese Dissidents Ask Trump to Pressure Beijing on Rights

Some U.S. lawmakers are urging President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration to recalibrate U.S.-China relations with a harder line on human rights. “It is increasingly clear that there is direct link between China’s domestic human-rights problems and the security and prosperity of the United States,” Congressman Chris Smith said at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive… Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Smith Announces Congressional App Challenge Winners

Four Monmouth County high school students enrolled in Communications High School in Wall Township were named the winners of the Congressional App Challenge from New Jersey’s 4th District, Congressman Chris Smith announced on Wednesday.

“The App Challenge encourages school students to become active in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, computer science and programming by creating and exhibiting their software applications,” said Smith. “This challenge is an important step to inspire creativity, career skills and teamwork, which can help participating students to be poised for high-tech jobs of the future.”

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Work completed to ease flooding, beach closures near Spring Lake pond

SPRING LAKE — When the 73-acre Wreck Pond overflows, a decades-long problem, its surge prompts frequent beach closures and carries devastating impacts to the coastal environment and nearby homes. With the completion of a concrete culvert that is part of Gov. Chris Christie administration’s $7.4 million lake restoration project, officials are a step closer to improving… Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Smith to NJ Transist: Don’t allow JCP&L power lines

Congressman Chris Smith

NEWARK, N.J.—Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) testified today before the New Jersey Transit Corporation Board of Directors in an effort to convince the agency to reject the Jersey Central Power & Light Co (JCP&L) application to utilize the transit agency’s right-of-way for the proposed “Monmouth County Reliability Project.” JCP&L has proposed the 10-mile-long transmission line be placed through residential neighborhoods along NJT’s North Jersey Coast line, creating an undue burden for large numbers of people in five Monmouth County municipalities.

“Some may argue that there is little or no adverse health link to exposure to the electromagnetic fields created by these high-voltage lines, and may produce select studies that suggest that,” said Smith, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on global health in his expert testimony. “But there is statistically relevant evidence–including studies–that suggest otherwise.”

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Congressman Chris Smith’s Statement on Terror Attacks, Arrest

Congressman Chris Smith and Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger at 9-11 Memorial

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) today commended the work of law enforcement in making a speedy arrest of a terrorist suspect thought to be connected to bombing attacks against targets in New Jersey and New York this past weekend.

“The law enforcement response to the initial pipe bomb attack in Ocean County, NJ at a Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Park and the subsequent attacks in New York and North Jersey, has been commendable in its rapid execution,” Smith said. “The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, State and local police, and especially the arresting officers of the Linden, N.J. Police Department, have performed exemplary in the face of a great danger to the public. I hope the injured officers recover quickly, and that any and all of those responsible for these cowardly attacks will be held to account and face justice.

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Manalapan Kindergarten Teacher is Library of Congress Teacher-in-Residence

Congressman Chris Smith and Teresa St. Angelo

Each year the Library of Congress (LoC) chooses a Teacher-in-Residence to serve in Washington for one year. For the 2016-2017 school year, that one person will be Teresa St. Angelo of Freehold Township, N.J., Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) said today.

Teresa St. Angelo, a kindergarten teacher in Manalapan will work with its Educational Outreach office to help teachers and school librarians incorporate the Library’s digitized primary sources into high-quality instruction. The Educational Outreach office is responsible for directing and developing the Library’s efforts to make its resources accessible, relevant and compelling to the nation’s K-12 community to bring the Library’s resources to classrooms across the country.

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The Fight to End Domestic Violence Against Women

By Congressman Chris Smith

Congressman Chris Smith meets with members of the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Nicole Morella, Cristina Williams and Catherine Hernesh  . photo via facebook

For 22 years, the Violence Against Women Act has been one of our nation’s most impactful laws. Aided by $6 billion in federal VAWA funding, millions of women have received emergency assistance during a crisis and support that has helped break the cycle of violence.

As the first comprehensive legislative package to address the epidemic of domestic violence, VAWA changed the attention to and conversation surrounding how we as a nation can better support victims of abuse and help families in need of a safe space. The law, which I supported at the outset and consistently since, invested significant resources to help prevent domestic abuse, assist the women and children who fall victim to it, and improve the judicial system’s response.

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Congressman Chris Smith’s remarks at the Middletown 9-11 Memorial

Congressman Chris Smith and Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger

Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing—I was in Washington chairing a Veteran’s Affairs Committee hearing—when a group of cowards hijacked airliners in order to perpetrate the worst act of terrorism in American history.

No-one remembers the shock, horror and numbing sorrow more, however, than the families and close friends of the victims.

Because it was a surprise attack, there was no chance to fight back that day although when Todd Beamer and other passengers learned what happened to the Twin Towers, Todd famously said “let’s roll” and attacked the terrorists on board the flight that crashed in a Pennsylvania field.

Who can forget the courageous first responders running up the stairs of the burning buildings—with total disregard for their own safety—saving some at the expense of their own lives.

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Soldier On: From homelessness to home ownership for military veterans

Between 50 and 100 Monmouth County homeless military veterans will have homes, security and futures to look forward to thanks to the tenacity of Freeholder Lillian Burry, Congressman Chris Smith and Soldier On, a non-profit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness.

Since 1994, Soldier On has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and supportive services. In 2010, Soldier On opened the first Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing cooperative that provides formerly homeless veterans with safe, sustainable, affordable housing – transitioning them from homelessness to home ownership. This housing model will be replicated nationally as Soldier On continues to change the end of the story for homeless veterans throughout the country.

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Congressman Smith Encourages High School Students To Enter the Congressional App Challenge

Congressman Chris Smith and Freeholder Lillian Burry in Spring Lake, Aug 22, 2016

Congressman Chris Smith, R-NJ 4 is encouraging Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) high school students from his district to apply for the Congressional App Challenge, a competition for U.S. high school students across the nation.

“The App Challenge encourages high school students to get involved in STEM fields, computer science and programming by creating and exhibiting their software applications,” said Smith. “This challenge is a modest but important step to inspire creativity in students, urge them to pursue coding skills and prepare for good-paying, high-tech jobs.”

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