Senator Amato in the 9th Legislative District working hard for Ocean County and residents throughout the State.
Read More Thanks for your hard work and dedication to the residents of New Jersey.
Read More "This bill ensures that volunteers who step up for their community are not unfairly taxed on the modest stipends they receive for answering the call to serve."
Read More "As New Jersey prepares to host a major international event, we also have a responsibility to prepare for the very real risks that come with it. Senator Greenstein and I have worked closely to ensure this investment bolsters law enforcement’s efforts to protect children from exploitation and human trafficking."
Read More Image For Immediate Release December 22, 2025 Construction of Empire Wing suspended Citing national security concerns - the critical issue Chris Smith has raised for years - the Trump administration halts construction of offshore wind project Image WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a longtime opponent of offshore wind industrialization, issued the attached statement following the Trump administration’s announcement that the Depts. of the Interior and War have paused the leases for five major offshore wind farms—including Empire Wind off the New Jersey and New York coasts—due to national security concerns: “I am grateful to President Donald Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum for their leadership in assessing ocean wind’s threats to national security and radar interference. The safety and security of the American people should always be at the forefront of U.S. policy. “As I have argued from day one—ocean wind projects pose significant, catastrophic impacts to radar, putting military and civilian aircrafts and vessels at grave risk. “This concern has been raised in a number of studies, including the April 2025 Offshore Wind Energy report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an analysis I requested, along with many of my colleagues, and was also called for in my legislation passed by the House—by a margin of 244 to 189—nearly three years ago. “As early as 2023, I joined Fox News’ Madison Alworth in Middletown, NJ to highlight the numerous national security and navigational risks associated with offshore wind industrialization. “That same year, the House passed my amendment requiring the President or his designee to certify that offshore wind projects ‘will not weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.' ’“It is particularly important that among the five offshore wind projects suspended by the Trump administration, Empire Wind is one of them—a project I have vehemently opposed for years. “Empire Wind’s close proximity to major international airports, including Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and JFK, and critical military installations, such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Naval Weapons Station Earle, make the project especially dangerous. It must be halted. “Projects like Empire Wind have already threatened New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries, as well as our tourism industry and the ocean environment, which is now recovering after years of pollution. And, these projects are extremely expensive, creating undue burdens on taxpayers—which I discussed with Martha MacCallum in July of 2023. “I look forward to working alongside the Trump administration in ensuring that these dangerous offshore wind projects are stopped.”
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We would like to thank Senator Amato for his efforts in passing the bill, and Ocean County Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione for raising awareness to ensure New Jersey residents are prioritized for Island Beach State Park fishing passes.
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The House Foreign Affairs Committee this week approved legislation (HRes 82) authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that calls on the Biden Administration to designate Nigeria as one of the world’s severe religious freedom violators, teeing it up for a vote on the House Floor.
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Legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that would prohibit any US contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) cleared a major hurdle, winning support from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a vote (30-19) to send the bill to the House Floor for consideration and passage.
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At a news conference hosted by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and attended by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), a panel of experts from a wide-range of backgrounds raised the alarm on mounting concerns regarding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “pandemic treaty.” The briefing comes amid the WHO’s mad dash to finalize text for the agreement in time for a vote on May 27th by the World Health Assembly.
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Today, Congressman Van Drew called on the Senate to finally take up H.R.2, Secure the Border Act of 2023, which passed the House 257 days ago, and demanded that President Biden take action and secure our border.
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Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew slammed Governor Murphy after reporting that his former acting deputy chief of staff will lead a new offshore wind advocacy group, the New Jersey Offshore Wind Alliance, and sent the Governor and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) a letter questioning an emergency meeting set for this week to approve additional offshore wind projects.
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