Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)
Christopher Henry Smith (born March 4, 1953) is an American politician serving his 22nd term as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 4th congressional district. Though it has taken various forms, his district has always been situated in central New Jersey. Currently, the district contains parts of Ocean and Monmouth counties. Smith is a member of the Republican Party, having switched from the Democratic Party in 1978.
Chris Smith | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 4th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Thompson |
| Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 4, 2001 – January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Stump |
| Succeeded by | Steve Buyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Henry Smith March 4, 1953 Rahway, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1978–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (before 1978) |
| Spouse |
Marie Hahn (m. 1977) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Trenton State College (BS) |
| Website | House website |
Smith is the dean of New Jersey's congressional delegation and the longest-serving member of Congress in New Jersey's history. 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 and conduct aggressive oversight of human rights abuses, actions that have earned him scorn from abusing nations.