Smith, as chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, speaks in support of the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003 Recorded June 23, 2003
Smith is the dean of New Jersey's congressional delegation and the longest-serving member of Congress in New Jersey's history.[1] He has focused much of his career on promoting human rights abroad, including authoring the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and several follow-on laws. From 1993 to 2019, he was the top House Republican on the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. He has used his leadership positions, including chairmanships, to author multiple pieces of legislation focused on human rights[2] and conduct aggressive oversight of human rights abuses,[3] actions that have earned him scorn from abusing nations.[4]
After graduating with a B.A. in business administration from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Smith worked in his family's sporting goods business.[7] In the 1976 election cycle, he managed the Democratic primary challenge of Steven Foley, an attorney and anti-abortion activist, against incumbent Senator Harrison A. Williams; Foley received about 15% of the vote, losing to Williams.[7] In 1978, Smith switched to the Republican Party,[8] and became executive director of the New Jersey Right to Life Committee, a part-time role.[7]
In 1978, while working at his family's sporting goods store, 25-year-old Smith ran for Congress as a Republican. He lost to longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Congressman Frank Thompson 61%–37%.[9][10]
1980
In 1980, Smith ran against Thompson again. Initially, Smith was thought to have a very slim chance of winning, but Thompson was indicted as part of the FBI's Abscam probe.[8] With the race now considered competitive, Republicans considered replacing Smith, but two alternative candidates seen as more competitive, Hamilton mayor John K. Rafferty and 1978 Senate nominee Jeff Bell, declined.[7] Helped by Ronald Reagan's strong performance in the district, Smith defeated Thompson 57%–41%.[11]
1982
In 1982, Smith's district was redrawn to include more Democratic voters[7] and his Democratic opponent was former New Jersey Senate President Joseph P. Merlino, who had directly controlled the redistricting process and run a competitive campaign for governor the year before. It was widely assumed that Smith's 1980 victory over the scandal-plagued Thompson was a fluke, and that he would lose to the better-known Merlino.[7] At the end of one of their debates, Smith approached Merlino to exchange pleasantries. Merlino was quoted as saying "Beat it, kid."[7]
During the campaign, Merlino ran a negative ad comparing Smith to Jimmy Stewart's character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In response, Stewart released a statement endorsing Smith and denouncing the ad: "When I played Mr. Smith in that picture, I did not think he was a naive hick. I thought he believed in honesty and integrity in government, the right of the people and the love of his country." Merlino pulled the ad.[12]
Smith won the race with 52.7% of the vote.[13][14]
Subsequently, a federal court found the 1982 redistricting was impermissible gerrymandering, and Smith's district was redrawn to more closely resemble the one used in 1980.[7][15] He has not faced another contest that close since.
1984–present
From 1984 to 2016, Smith won reelection with over 60% of the vote.[7]
In 2006, Smith's 66% was the highest percentage for any Republican in the New Jersey delegation.[16]
In 2010, Smith received 69.4% of the vote, ahead of Democratic nominee Howard Kleinhendler, Libertarian nominee Joe Siano, Green Party nominee Steven Welzer, and American Renaissance Movement nominee David Meiswinkle.[18]
In 2018, Smith defeated Democratic nominee Joshua Welle with 55% of the vote to Welle's 43%. Smith was the only Republican to win a congressional race in New Jersey that year, reducing the GOP to its smallest presence in New Jersey's House delegation since 1918. This was Smith's closest election since 1982.
In 2020, Smith defeated Democratic nominee Stephanie Schmid.
In 2022, Smith defeated Democratic nominee Matthew Jenkins with 66.9% of the vote.[19]
Tenure
Smith was ranked the 17th most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives during the 114th United States Congress (and the second most bipartisan from New Jersey) in the Bipartisan Index by the Lugar Center.[20]
It was revealed in October 2015 that intern applicants for Smith's office were required to rate "27 different personalities, organizations, and political issues, to indicate whether they tend to agree with them, disagree with them, or have no opinion or knowledge of them". Personalities and organizations included Rachel Maddow, the Pope, Planned Parenthood, and The National Right to Life Committee.[29]
In January 2001, Smith became chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and pushed for policies Republican leadership opposed, including voting against the Republican, and for the Democratic, budget resolution, because the latter included more spending on veterans programs. In 2004, Smith refused to endorse the Republican budget proposal, unless it included more money for veterans. In a congressional hearing, Smith articulated his belief that the Bush Administration's budget request was $1.2 billion less than the Department of Veterans Affairs actually required, embarrassing the administration and Republican congressional leadership.[39][40] During his four years as committee chair, Smith wrote 22 bills addressing veterans' issues.[40] His unwillingness to follow the party line resulted in the House Republican Caucus removing him from his chairmanship (and from the committee altogether) in January 2005, at the beginning of the 109th Congress, with the chairmanship going to Steve Buyer instead, two years short of the normal six-year term.[39][40] Veterans' groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Paralyzed Veterans of America praised Smith and criticized the decision to remove him.[40]
As of April 2020, FiveThirtyEight reported that Smith voted in line with Trump's position 67.7% of the time, the third-lowest percentage among Republican members of Congress after fellow New Jerseyan Jeff Van Drew and Brian Fitzpatrick.[44]
Smith is strongly anti-abortion. He is a co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and served as co-chair of the Trump Administration's Pro-Life Coalition.[49][50] He supports the Mexico City policy, which blocks U.S. federal funding for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling or referrals, advocate to decriminalize abortion or expand abortion services.[51] In 2000, he voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2000.[52] In December 2023, Smith signed a letter of support to Tommy Tuberville, thanking him for his nine-month hold on more than 400 military promotions over the Pentagon's abortion policy.[53]
Smith expressed support for the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, an amendment to America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.[54]
Smith has introduced various forms of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, starting with the original proposal in 2011. The 2011 proposal prohibited federal funds from being used for health benefits that cover abortion, unless in the case of rape, incest or if the woman could die. It also disqualified abortions from being written off on taxes.[52] In 2013, Smith reintroduced the proposal, which further restricted insurance coverage of abortions.[55] The bill passed the House but has yet to be voted on by the Senate.[56][57]
Domestic violence
Smith voted for the original 1994 Violence Against Women Act, and co-sponsored the reauthorization bills of 2000 and 2005, the latter of which provided $1.6 billion for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave un-prosecuted.[58] Smith voted against reauthorizing the act in 2013, due to the Senate version of the bill's cutting of funding for the Trafficking in Persons Office at the State Department, which Smith's Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 created.[59][60]
Environment
As of 2020, Smith has a lifetime score of 62% on the National Environmental Scorecard of the League of Conservation Voters,[61] the second-highest of any sitting Republican member (after Brian Fitzpatrick).[62][63] He has said, "Climate change is a global challenge that must be addressed with a global solution."[64]
Smith also opposes offshore drilling, particularly in New Jersey.[65]
Smith backed a carbon emissions trading bill to tackle climate change, one of only eight Republicans in the House to do so.[66]
Guns
Smith opposes concealed carry.[67] In 2016, he was one of four Republicans to receive a 100% rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and has generally received low or intermediate ratings from pro-gun organizations Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association.[68] Smith did not co-sponsor the Brady Campaign's proposed legislation to expand background checks for gun purchasers.[69]
Smith was one of five Republicans to co-sponsor HR 8 in the 116th Congress, which would require mandatory background checks for gun sales.[70]
Smith called the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting "tragic beyond words", and said, "The terrorist's motive, if linked to radical Islamist ideology, underscores the escalating national and worldwide threat from global jihad."[71]
Smith has written three major laws to address autism, including the most recent Autism CARES which included $1.3 billion in funding for research, services and supports and requires a report on aging out.[73]
On May 9, 2019, Smith was one of only three Republicans who voted for HR 986, a measure supported by all voting House Democrats intended to maintain protections of those with preexisting medical conditions to have continued access to affordable medical insurance under the existing provisions of the Affordable Care Act.[75] Five weeks earlier, he had voted with seven other Republicans to pass a resolution condemning the Trump administration's efforts by Department of Justice to have the courts invalidate Obamacare.[76]
Smith has been a longtime promoter of the medically unrecognized "chronic Lyme disease", and has pushed for the medical establishment to recognize the condition.[77] The condition, not to be confused with genuine Lyme disease, is generally rejected by medical professionals, and its promotion is generally seen as health fraud.[78][79][80] In 2019, Smith proposed an investigation into whether the Pentagon had released "weaponized" ticks infected with Lyme disease into the environment between 1950 and 1975.[81][82] Scientists identified this proposal, which Congress did not adopt, as based on a conspiracy theory and claimed that an investigation was unnecessary and a poor use of funds.[83][84][85]
Smith advocates for human rights, serving on numerous committees that seek to impact both national and international laws and legislation. He has stated that the bills he introduces to the house are meant to make the U.S. take "human rights seriously".[86]
In 1999, Smith proposed, as part of the American Embassy Security Act, to stop a U.S. sponsored program which provided training to Royal Ulster Constabulary with the FBI, due to claims of human rights violations, i. e., harassment of defense attorneys representing republicans in Northern Ireland.[87] However, he voted "no" on a bill that halts arms sales to Saudi Arabia and removes troops from Yemen.[88]
Smith has held congressional hearings and has proposed bills regarding human rights violations, specifically around women's sexual health, activism and religious groups, in China. He staunchly opposes the forced sterilization and forced abortions being implemented by the Chinese government towards women regarding China's one-child policy. Regarding the victimization of these women, Smith stated that "the agony that those women carry with them is beyond words. They talk about the pain that they carry for their child and for the violation by the state." In response, Smith wrote a bill, which was put into law in 1999, making it illegal for the U.S. to issue visas to foreign nationals who have been involved in forced abortion or sterilization.[86]
Smith called for the release of China's jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, December 2015
Smith held a congressional hearing regarding the disappearance of blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng.[86] He attempted, in 2011, to visit Chen in China, when the activist was under house arrest, but was not granted permission.[95] In response to the violations towards Chen and his family, Smith sponsored the China Democracy Promotion Act of 2011, which sought to prevent known Chinese human rights violators from entering the U.S.[86]
In November 2018, Smith raised the issue of Xinjiang internment camps and human rights abuses against the Uyghurs.[97] Smith said: "The internment of over a million Uyghurs and other Muslims in China is a staggering evil and should be treated by the international community as a crime against humanity. The Chinese government's creation of a vast system of what can only be called concentration camps cannot be tolerated in the 21st century."[98]
In October 2022, Politico reported that Smith criticized some US-based financial executives attending the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, saying that companies "that trumpet their so-called 'Environmental, Social and Governance Principles' at home are quick to discard these 'values' for a chance to make a profit from China."[99]
South Korea
Smith has indicated his serious concern on the amendment of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act in South Korea which passed the South Korean National Assembly on December 14, 2020. It penalizes activists who send anti-North Korean material across the border as balloon propaganda. It was passed by the super-majority of the ruling party of President Moon Jae-in who is keen to improve cross-border ties. Smith stated that "While I would hope that members of Korea's Democratic Party would see how damaging this proposed legislation is to democratic principles and human rights, and thus reverse course, in the event that they pass such a law, I call upon our State Department to critically reevaluate the Republic of Korea's commitment to democratic values in its annual human rights report, as well as in its report on international religious freedom. It may very well be that we will see South Korea put on a watch list, which would be a very sad development indeed."[100]
Religion
Smith supports religious rights regarding international human rights. He supports sanctions against Vietnam regarding its treatment of Catholics and China regarding the Uyghurs and Falun Gong.[89]
Immigration
Smith supported the Indonesian Family Refugee Protection Act in 2012, which would have extended the deadline for Indonesian immigrants to file for citizenship.[101]
Intellectual property rights
Smith authored the Global Online Freedom Act in 2007, but it did not become law.[102] The proposed legislation was a bill "to promote freedom of expression on the Internet, to protect United States businesses from coercion to participate in repression by authoritarian foreign governments, and for other purposes."[103] Specifically, the bill would prohibit American companies from turning over data about customers residing in "internet restrictive countries." The bill is supported by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. It is opposed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.[104]
January 6 commission
On May 19, 2021, Smith was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the U.S. Capitol attack.[105]
In July 2022, Smith voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that required the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages.[107]
Labor movement
Smith supports the Employee Free Choice Act.[89] The AFL-CIO Legislative Scorecard, which tracks support for workers' rights, gives Smith a 61% lifetime rating, ranking him seventh of New Jersey's twelve Representatives, and 195th of the House's 435 Representatives.[108]
The AFL-CIO endorsed Smith for re-election in 2018, calling him one of the "best candidates for working people," due to his support for collective bargaining, opposition to the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision, and support for infrastructure funding, among other reasons.[109]
Smith cited the example of Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement as a reason he support unions. He also said of his fellow Republicans, "What my Republican colleagues often don't understand is that labor is a human-rights issue".[89]
Marijuana
Smith has a "D" rating from NORML regarding his voting record on cannabis-related matters. He has consistently voted against the Veterans Equal Access Amendment, which provides veterans access to information regarding medical marijuana accessibility in their respective states.[112][failed verification]
Veterans affairs
Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars calls Smith "the best friend" of veterans. In 2004, Smith refused to endorse the Republican budget proposal unless it included more money for veterans. In a congressional hearing, Smith publicly articulated his belief that the Bush Administration's budget request was $1.2 billion less than the Department of Veterans Affairs actually required, embarrassing the administration and Republican congressional leadership.[113] In 2005, Smith was removed from his chairmanship and membership on the Veterans Affair Committee for his aggressive role in seeking more funding for veteran-related causes.[89]
Smith voted against the 2017 Republican tax legislation backed by Donald Trump; he was one of five Republican representatives from New Jersey who joined Democrats in opposing the bill. Smith opposed the bill as "unfair to the taxpayers of New Jersey" because it dramatically limited the federal reduction of state and local taxes (SALT).[115] and said he would be "forced to oppose" more tax cuts if legislation included a provision permanently extending the $10,000 cap on the SALT deduction.[116]
In elections marked with an asterisk (*), additional candidates received less than 1% of the vote.
Related Research Articles
Michael Dennis Rogers is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 3rd congressional district since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party of Alabama. Rogers is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee where he served as the Ranking Member from 2021 to 2023 and as the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee from 2019 to 2021.
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito is an American politician and retired educator serving in her second term as the junior United States senator from West Virginia, a post she has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Capito served seven terms as the U.S. representative from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2015. The daughter of three-term West Virginia governor Arch Alfred Moore Jr., she is the dean of West Virginia's congressional delegation.
John Nichols Boozman is an American politician and former optometrist serving as the senior United States senator from Arkansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district from 2001 to 2011. He is the dean of Arkansas's congressional delegation.
Gerald Wesley Moran is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Kansas, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 113th U.S. Congress, during which he led successful Republican efforts in the 2014 election, producing the first Republican Senate majority since 2006. Previously, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kansas's 1st congressional district.
Frank Alo LoBiondo is an American businessman and politician who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party. He represented all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem Counties and parts of Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, and Ocean Counties. In November 2017, LoBiondo announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his term, and did not seek re-election in 2018.
Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen is an American former politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district from 1995 to 2019. The district includes most of Morris County, an affluent suburban county west of New York City. A member of the Republican Party, Frelinghuysen served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee from 2017 to 2019. Frelinghuysen announced on January 29, 2018, that he would not seek re-election that year.
Norvell Kay Granger is an American politician from the U.S. state of Texas serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 12th congressional district since 1997. She is a member of the Republican Party, and was chair of the United States House Committee on Appropriations from 2023 to 2024.
Nancy Ruth Mace is an American politician who has been the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2021. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Thomas Howard Kean Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. He represented New Jersey's 21st legislative district in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022.
Leonard John Lance is an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 7th congressional district, from 2009 to 2019. He ran for re-election in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Tom Malinowski. He is a member of the Republican Party who previously served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2009 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1991 to 2002.
Jefferson H. Van Drew is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district since 2019. Formerly a Democrat, he has been a member of the Republican Party since 2020.
Bonnie M. Watson Coleman is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2015 for the 15th legislative district. She is the first African-American woman to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Frank Joseph Pallone Jr. is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 6th congressional district since 1988. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 3rd district from 1988 to 1993, is in the north-central part of the state and includes New Brunswick, Woodbridge Township, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, Edison, Piscataway and Asbury Park. Pallone is the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Daniel Philip Meuser is an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district since 2019. A Republican, he previously served as the secretary of revenue in the cabinet of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. He was previously president of the Pride Corporation, a manufacturer of motorized wheelchairs in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton metro area of Pennsylvania, and currently serves the company as a board member and consultant. He has testified before Congress regarding the criticality for federal practices surrounding rights and caring for the disabled.
Thomas Charles MacArthur is an American former insurance executive and politician. He served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A Republican, MacArthur served on the city council of Randolph, New Jersey, from 2011 through 2013, and as its mayor in 2013. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. After leaving Congress MacArthur returned to private business.
Joshua S. Gottheimer is an American politician, attorney, writer, and public policy adviser who has served as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district since 2017. The district stretches along the northern border of the state from New York City's densely populated metropolitan suburbs in Bergen County northwest through exurban and rural territory in northern Passaic and Sussex Counties.
Tomasz "Tom" P. Malinowski is an American politician and diplomat who was the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 2019 to 2023. A Democrat, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Obama administration.
Brian Kevin Fitzpatrick is an American politician, attorney, and former FBI agent who has served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania since 2017. His district, which was numbered the 8th district during his first term and the 1st district since 2019, includes all of Bucks County, a mostly suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a sliver of Montgomery County.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 12 U.S. representatives from the state of New Jersey, one from each of the state's 12 congressional districts.
1 2 Gruson, Lindsey. "Decade of Rep. Smith: Fluke to Tactician", The New York Times, August 10, 1991; accessed March 28, 2008. "He switched parties but lost in 1978 as the token opposition to Frank Thompson, a veteran Democrat who was chairman of the House Administration Committee. But he won in 1980 when Thompson was convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam scandal and later served two years in prison."
↑ Wildstein, David (22 Dec 2021). "Chris Smith will run in 4th district". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 22 Dec 2021. Merlino's most unforgettable TV ad was shot in black-and-white as an imitation of the film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." The ad shows a youthful vagabond hitchhiking as a voice-over attacks Smith. That was followed by the actor playing Smith getting kicked down the Capitol steps with the narrator urging voters to kick Smith out of Washington and replace him with Merlino. Republicans got actor Jimmy Stewart who played Mr. Smith in the movie, to issue a statement slamming Merlino. "When I played Mr. Smith in that picture, I did not think he was a naive hick," Stewart said. "I thought he believed in honesty and integrity in government, the right of the people and the love of his country." Stewart applauded Smith's record as a first-term congressman – "I hope you win," he said – and Merlino pulled the ad that had clearly backfired. Smith defeated Merlino with 53% of the vote.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
