Welle not likely to run for local or state office

Josh Welle using free Wifi at Panera Bread in Ocean Township last month

In a podcast published last week, former congressional candidate Josh Welle said that if he runs for election again it will likely be for a national office and that it would likely be in 4-6 years.

Last December after he became the 20th Democrat to lose to Congressman Chris Smith, Welle told NJGlobe that he was considering a run for State Assembly  in the 13th district to replace retiring Assemblywoman Amy Handlin.

Monmouth County Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger received the GOP endorsement for Handlin’s seat at a convention in Freehold yesterday.  Democrats are set to endorse their candidates next Saturday.  Welle’s name is not in the mix for Assembly, according to a Democrat who doesn’t want to be known for talking to MMM. Read the rest of this entry »

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YMCA honors Congressman Chris Smith

The New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and other NJ branches of the Young Men’s Christian Association, joined the national organization in honoring Congressman Chris Smith on Wednesday morning in Washington during their YMCA Champions Breakfast on Capitol Hill.

Smith was named a Congressional Champion for, among other things, his efforts to restore the ability of middle class taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions from their federal income taxes.

H.R. 651, a bill authored by Smith and introduced in January, would allow taxpayers to deduct 100% of their charitable deductions from their federal income taxes, even if they opt to use the standard deduction instead of itemizing their deductions. Read the rest of this entry »

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Rep Smith: Report Stresses Urgency of Action for Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C.— A new report by the Alzheimer’s Association released on Tuesday makes clear the challenge of the increase in cases of Alzheimer’s disease, and the necessity of helping at-risk populations prepare for the upsurge in new cases—and one day prevent Alzheimer’s altogether, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) stated.

“We’ve come a long way toward understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease, and are moving ever closer to a cure, but this report lays out the challenge yet before us and the necessity of preparing individuals and families on best practices for medical care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, Smith said.

“We need to redouble our efforts to help the 5.8 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, along with their loved ones and caregivers, and to advance treatments,” said Smith the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease. Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Chris Smith Acknowledges Hotels That Fight Human Trafficking

Representatives of the Junior Leagues of NJ State Public Affairs Committee meet with Rep Chris Smith during the NJ Chamber’s Congressional Dinner. Click on photo for info on JL-NJSPAC’s anti-human trafficking efforts

During his remarks to the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s 82nd Walk to Washington Congressional Dinner, Congressman Chris Smith acknowledged five hotel chains for their leadership in fighting human trafficking; Hilton, Carlson, Radisson, Wyndham and Marriott.

Smith introduced legislation yesterday, H.R.1427, which will require that hotels that fight human trafficking be preferred vendors for federal government travel.

Smith remarks to the Chamber, as prepared for delivery, follow:

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Smith’s new legislation will fight human trafficking in the hotel industry

Congressman Smith addressed the 9th annual NJ Human Trafficking and Awareness Event on January 25, 2019 in Trenton

Legislation introduced by Congressman Chris Smith on Thursday will require that U.S. government travel business be prioritized to hotels that have strong anti-human trafficking policies in place.

“U.S. government travelers should be staying at hotels that are part of the solution to human trafficking, not part of the problem,” Smith said. “Six of the 10 major hotels chains in the world have taken the initiative to train their staff to recognize and report when human traffickers use their hotels for crime.  These are the hotels that deserve U.S. government business.”

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Congressman Chris Smith Urges Fire Departments to Apply for SAFER grants

Congressman Chris Smith today urged all fire departments, career and volunteer, to apply for federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response) grants that are available from FEMA.  The grants are for the recruitment and retention of “front-line” firefighters.  The application period is February 15, 2019 through March 22, 2019 at 5 p.m. ET.

“All eligible career and volunteer fire departments in the Fourth District are encouraged to apply for these Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, which help increase the number of firefighters and first responders to provide our communities with more security,” Smith said. “As we have already seen, this grant program has strengthened our district’s local fire departments and volunteer organizations in the past.”

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Rep Smith, fathers, meet with NIH researchers fighting for cure to deadly muscle disorder

Congressman Chris Smith hosted a meeting last week with top doctors and researchers from the National Institute of Health and two fathers from his New Jersey district who are fighting to saves their sons from a devastating disease.

James and  Karen Raffone of Manalapan and David and Maria Schultz of Hamilton are parents of sons with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Both families have dedicated their lives to finding a cure for their sons and the hundreds of thousands of boys who until recently faced certain paralysis in their teens and death in their early twenties.  The Schultz family founded Ryan’s Quest, the Raffones founded JAR of Hope.

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Republican Enthusiasm Abounds At Monmouth County Lincoln Day Dinner

It’s become a winter tradition that Monmouth County Republicans can mark their calendars by.  Shaun Golden’s annual Starry Night Celebration is on the last Friday of January followed by the Monmouth GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner two weeks later.

The atmosphere was electric on Friday night in Freehold where over 500 enthusiastic Republicans gathered at Southgate Manor for the annual celebration of America’s first Republican president and the annual kickoff of signature gathering for candidates’ petitions.

New Jersey’s sole remaining Republican in Congress, Rep Chris Smith, received a spontaneous standing ovation when Golden noted his arrival from a Friday voting session in Washington.  Smith in turn acknowledged the strong Monmouth Republican team that held back the blue wave that swept the rest of New Jersey in last fall’s election and specifically congratulated Golden, not for politics, but for outstanding government.  The Sheriff was honored in Washington last year, Smith noted, for leading the best 911 call center in the country.

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Civil War Hero’s Medal Returned To His Family

The Medal of Honor earned by a Civil War hero from Monmouth County was returned to the possession of his descendant family on Monday by Congressman Chris Smith, in a ceremony in Freehold Borough.

Thomas T. Fallon emigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1859, settling in Freehold.  He entered the service of the U.S. Army at Freehold during the Civil War and became a private in Company K of 37th New York Infantry, the 4th  U.S. Artillery Regiment and served as a sergeant in the 35th New Jersey Infantry until July 1985, three months after the conclusion of the war.

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Congressman Chris Smith’s remarks to the Alzheimer’s Community Forum

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