Congressman Chris Smith - Moderate or Tea Party Republican?

District needs a more moderate congressman

I n response to Robin Nowicki’s recent letter to the editor, “Calling On Rep. Smith to Support Gun Sense,” Congressman Chris Smith does not support HR1565 and does not advocate for universal background checks — as do the vast majority of New Jersey residents — because he espouses a far-right ideology and votes his ultra-conservative conscience.

As such, he is a supporter of the government shutdown effectuated by a mere handful of congressmen who oppose the health care act that is law in our land — passed by the full Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Because Congressman Smith is an ethical man and an effective legislator for many humanitarian causes, I voted for him in the past. That was a mistake. It is now apparent that legislators who reject the values of the overwhelming majority of their constituents in favor of their own extreme imperatives are doing a great disservice to the voters who put them in office.

As much as I like Chris Smith the man, I oppose Chris Smith the far-right conservative congressman who is using his position to push the tea party agenda. It is time for our more moderate 4th Congressional District to vote this longtime occupant out of office.