As New Jersey continues under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, please know that my district office remains available to serve constituents by phone and email. Included below are links to information that you may find helpful, along with important state and national news updates related to COVID-19.
WASHINGTON, DC—In an urgent phone conversation Saturday, March 21st with U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Krishna Urs, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the Ambassador to reach out to U.S. citizens and reassure those spread-out across Peru that they have not been forgotten nor abandoned.
“There are reportedly 5,000 Americans trapped in Peru needing the immediate assistance of the U.S. government in order to get home,” said Smith, who has been contacted by more than a dozen travelers with New Jersey roots. Read the rest of this entry »
Order Also Prohibits All Social Gatherings, Mandates Work From Home Arrangements for Employees When Possible, and Invalidates Any Conflicting Local and County Regulations
Newark- To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and protect the capacity of New Jersey’s health care system for the state’s most vulnerable, Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 107, directing all residents to stay at home until further notice. The order provides for certain exceptions, such as obtaining essential goods or services, seeking medical attention, visiting family or close friends, reporting to work, or engaging in outdoor activities.
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the District of New Jersey today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address: [email protected].
MIDDLETOWN, NJ –At Monday’s Middletown Township Committee meeting, Mayor Tony Perry declared a State of Local Disaster Emergency within Middletown to help mitigate the evolving COVID-19 health situation.
“The health and safety of this community is our top priority,” said Mayor Perry. “It is crucial that we find ways to encourage fellow citizens to practice social distancing to help contain the spread of this disease. We are implementing these measures because it is imperative that our residents understand the gravity of the situation.” Read the rest of this entry »
Congressman Chris Smith working in his Hamilton office
Monmouth County Freeholders Sue Kiley and Nick DiRocco, joined by County Administrator Teri O’Connor, briefed Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) on the work being done in Monmouth to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus, as well as to help County residents deal with the stressors the pandemic may bring.
Smith said that though the County is limiting visitors to all offices, all golf courses, parks and open spaces remain open and may offer needed respite. The Freeholders also discuss the testing, screening and tracing being done, and also briefed the congressman on the bank of volunteers who are answering calls at the Monmouth County Health Department.
Smith said Regenye briefed him on the “mutually reinforcing aggressive steps” Ocean County has undertaken including the push to identify and test at-risk people, school closing and need for students during closures to adhere to “social distancing—no parties or sleepovers” and the need for personal protective equipment (PPE), especially for health workers and first responders.
WASHINGTON, DC – As the House tonight passed its second comprehensive bipartisan bill to combat the coronavirus (COVID 19), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) said that “containing the outbreak, finding a cure and a safe and effective vaccine must be our highestpriority—no matter the cost.”
“We must contain the coronavirus pandemic and protect all people, especially those most vulnerable to the disease such as the elderly and those with serious chronic medical conditions,” said Smith, who strongly supported and voted for the measure hours after President Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency, opening the door for states and local governments to receive additional federal assistance. Read the rest of this entry »
Direct Support Professionals Asking for $16.5 Million to Cover Minimum Wage Increase
When the Democrats in Trenton passed legislation in 2019 to increase the state minimum wage incrementally until it reaches $15 per hour in 2024, Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Republicans in both houses warned of the consequences for New Jersey taxpayers, those providing essential services and those that depend on those services.
Two months after the implementation of the second annual increase raising the state hourly minimum from $10 to $11, O’Scanlon’s cautions are being proven. Read the rest of this entry »
WASHINGTON, DC— Rep. Chris Smith joined President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other congressional and State Department officials at the White House today to mark the 20th year since enactment of Smith’s landmark Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA, Public Law 106-386). Read the rest of this entry »
