U.S. Representative Chris Smith to Join CPAC Christian Persecution Summit

Staff Writer
Oct 29
2 min read

Updated: Oct 29

Rep. Smith has been a leading voice against religious persecution, with recent activities focused on Nigeria. As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Rep. Smith has chaired congressional hearings in 2025 to address religious persecution in Nigeria, particularly against Christians.

He has written more laws than any other member of the House of Representatives, including comprehensive legislation to promote and advance religious freedom throughout the globe:

· In 1998, Smith worked closely with Rep. Frank R. Wolf and chaired all of the critical hearings, enabling the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act (P.L. 105-292), which established the Office on International Religious Freedom and the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

· 18 years later, Smith authored the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (P.L. 114-281) to reauthorize and enhance the provisions within the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, naming the new legislation in honor of his colleague and renowned religious freedom lawmaker, Rep. Wolf.

· Smith is the author of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-300), legislation to provide relief for victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes who are members of religious and ethnic minority groups, especially and including Christians, in Iraq and Syria.

· Smith authored the provisions in law that created the Office of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism in 2004. In 2021, he wrote P.L. 116-326 to elevate the Office of Special Envoy to the high-level position of Ambassador, thereby expanding the impact and reach of the Office, boosting its ability to identify and combat antisemitism throughout the globe.

Following a March 2025 hearing, he condemned acts of transnational repression aimed at Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans who testified on abuses in their home country. He has authored legislation calling for the State Department to redesignate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" for severe violations of religious freedom. In March 2025, Smith praised the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for its annual report documenting global religious persecution. Smith has a long history of addressing religious freedom issues. In 2017, he received an award for his defense of international religious freedom, citing his work on behalf of persecuted Christians in countries like China, Iraq, and Nigeria.