Christopher Henry Smith

Republican Representative of New Jersey's 4th district

  • Representative

    New Jersey, district 4

    January 3, 2025 - January 3, 2027

202-225-3765

chrissmith.house.gov

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23

Congresses Served

23

House Terms

March 4, 1953 (72 years old)

Birthday

  • Serving his 22nd term as a U.S. representative
  • Initially a member of the Democratic Party before switching to the Republican Party in 1978
  • Dean of New Jersey’s congressional delegation and the longest-serving member of Congress in New Jersey’s history
  • Focused on promoting human rights abroad, authoring significant legislation including the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000
  • Served as the top House Republican on the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe from 1993 to 2019
  • Has held leadership positions and conducted oversight of human rights abuses
  • Born and raised in New Jersey, attended St. Mary’s High School and graduated from Trenton State College with a B.A. in business administration
  • Worked in his family’s sporting goods business before entering politics
  • Ran for Congress in 1978 and 1980, winning on his second attempt
  • Has won reelection consistently, often by large margins
  • Ranked as the 17th most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives during the 114th Congress
  • Supported impeachment inquiries and votes against President Bill Clinton
  • Required intern applicants to rate various personalities and organizations to gauge their political leanings
  • Nominated and confirmed twice to serve as a member of the United States delegation to the United Nations General Assembly
  • Voted against both articles in the first impeachment of Donald Trump and the sole article in the second impeachment
  • Voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results and supported removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments
  • Advocated for veterans’ affairs, including more funding for veterans programs, and was removed from the Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairmanship for his advocacy
  • Introduced International Megan’s Law and supported the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021
  • Strongly anti-abortion, co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus
  • Supported the original Violence Against Women Act and its reauthorizations, but voted against the 2013 reauthorization due to funding cuts for the Trafficking in Persons Office
  • Has a lifetime score of 62% from the League of Conservation Voters, indicating a relatively moderate stance on environmental issues for a Republican
  • Opposes concealed carry and supported legislation for mandatory background checks for gun sales
  • Authored major laws addressing autism and supported healthcare measures protecting preexisting conditions
  • Advocates for human rights, including efforts to address human rights abuses in China and support for recognizing the Armenian genocide
  • Supported the Employee Free Choice Act and has a 61% lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO Legislative Scorecard
  • Voted against the 2017 Republican tax legislation due to concerns about its impact on New Jersey taxpayers