According to the congressional watchdog organization, GovTrack.us, which monitors lawmaking performance over the past two decades, Congressman Chris Smith is tied for second out of all 435 members of the House of Representatives in authoring bills that have been successfully enacted into law, a clear indication of Chris Smith’s legislative skill and ability to get things done.

In their detailed profiles of Members of Congress, Politics in America 2010, the independent periodical Congressional Quarterly said- “His willingness to regularly devote 12-hour days to his work, one of the House’s most effective constituent-service centers and a reputation untarnished by scandal have kept him popular in a solidly Democratic state.”

Chris has written laws to enhance veterans’ health care and education, combat human trafficking, help autistic children and others suffering disability, promote human rights here and abroad, create new benefits and support for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease, establish a nationwide cord blood stem cell bank so adult stem cells can be used to cure and treat patients, and more.

In April 2010, New Jersey Monthly Magazine selected Chris Smith for its “Best of New Jersey” edition, highlighting his comprehensive legislative record, detailing his work reuniting a father and son separated by international child abduction, and stating- “His can-do attitude often sets Smith apart from his colleagues in gridlocked D.C.”

As Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Chris authored numerous laws that have significantly improved life for our nation's service men and women.

As the leader of key international relations panels and subcommittees, he has been at the forefront of our nation’s foreign policy battles for almost 30 years, including efforts to promote human rights and democracy, enhance national security, combat global terrorism, and stop the evils of slavery and anti-Semitism once and for all.

In addition to a record of success as a lawmaker, Chris has fought for the constituents of New Jersey’s Fourth District. He has consistently voted to cut taxes, control reckless spending and has worked to foster better economic opportunities and sustainable jobs.

When Navy Lakehurst — Ocean County’s largest employer — was slated for closure, Chris led a community effort to not only keep the base open, but to develop it into a much stronger and indispensable military installation. Thanks to Chris’s efforts, more than $125 million, above and beyond regular operating funds, has flowed to the base for new facilities and enhanced missions in recent years.

As Dean of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation, Chris has led efforts to ensure New Jersey receives its fair share of Homeland Security dollars.

Working closely with the federal officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Chris succeeded in bringing the first ever federally supported Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to the State of New Jersey. The Living Independently for Elders (LIFE) program, run by St. Francis Medical Center, now enables nursing-home eligible seniors to obtain all inclusive, customized, quality medical services, nutritional and pharmaceutical assistance and other care they desperately need without having to move to a nursing home.

Smith was also the driving force behind the establishment of three much-needed veterans’ community-based outpatient clinics in Brick, Ft. Monmouth, and in Trenton, while also working to expand services at the veterans’ clinic at Ft. Dix.

Perhaps most importantly, leaving no stone unturned, Chris Smith has been the reliable first call for individual constituents experiencing various problems with government agencies. About Chris’s constituent service operation, the Times of Trenton has said “Few in Congress work harder than this representative and there must be few who do a better job of delivering services to their constituents.”

Chris Smith is a graduate of The College of New Jersey (then Trenton State College). He and his wife Marie have four grown children and two grandchildren.