Chris Smith

I am particularly concerned by the uptick in abuses against vulnerable populations who are already at grave risk in many countries.

By expanding the scope of the sanctions beyond the Russian Government, this legislation sends an important message to those who seek to suppress human rights around the world.

The administration indeed has urged the Presidents of Burundi and Rwanda, for example, not to go for a third term.

The administration seems to have declined to intervene significantly in countries important to the U.S. interests such as Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, and Djibouti.

Many of us in Congress, realizing the importance of helping to facilitate free, fair and transparent elections in Africa, have long supported funding increases in this area.

I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Royce, for his leadership on this bill, the markup, and for the very timely recommendations he and staff made to improve it. I would like to thank Eliot Engel again for working hand in glove in a…

This piece of legislation was championed by Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey.

We begged the President to ask that Nguyen Van Dai be released and the other 180 or so political prisoners in Vietnam.

The Nigerians have a very capable military. Their soldiers are outstanding.

I think it is gross indifference. There might be a tinge of racism in there.

It is almost as if there is a fence of apartheid that has been put around, erected around Nigeria and the other neighboring countries.

Not enough is being done.

I don't think we are doing enough, number one.

He needs to be specific.

The facts warrant it. And they also could be known as a Tier 3 country when it comes to egregious violations of sex and labor trafficking, especially labor trafficking in Vietnam.

There need to be specific requests made so that we can gauge whether or not Vietnam is about to move in the right direction or continues its deterioration when it comes to human rights.

We will be more than happy to send your statement and a letter encouraging the President...

I would like to request that my husband be released unconditionally and immediately.

There was no propaganda against the state.

I believe that dialogues are essential, but they should not be seen as a substitute for very significant, tangible impacts and consequences to countries like Vietnam, the Government of Vietnam, that commits egregious violations of human…

I want to thank you again for your very brave testimony.

I can assure you we will continue our efforts.

It is breathtakingly disturbing that an abuser of human rights could simultaneously be an arbiter of how well or poorly other countries are doing.

This is a united world, not just the United States speaking about these universally recognized human rights.

Human rights have to be at the very top of the President's agenda.