“We have to create an economy that’s strong and a nation that’s safe. A future built on freedom and a government that’s accountable.”

Excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) Election Night, November 8, 2022

Special thanks to my wife Marie for her love and extraordinary inspiration and wisdom– I couldn’t do this without her—and to our family for their steadfast support.

I am deeply grateful to Republican Party leaders—County Chairs, municipal chairs and club presidents and the all-important county committee members and elected leaders at every level for your friendship and amazing support.

Thank you to our campaign staff, especially campaign manager Jessica Rohr, deputy manager Christian Henniger and our army of volunteers.

They have worked around the clock, seven days a week.

And thanks to the voters. I will work every day to continually earn your trust and support.

America today faces unprecedented challenges.

President Biden has been an extreme disappointment and his egregiously flawed policies have had terrible consequences:

• Inflation is out of control—hurting everyone, especially those on a fixed income;

• Violent crime has skyrocketed, anti-police policies and rhetoric have made our communities less safe—and shockingly, every Democrat in the House voted for Biden’s legislation to end qualified immunity;

• Know this, I stand with the police;

• We need to respect the weakest and most vulnerable including unborn children;

• America has gone from energy independent to dependency on foreign oil—that can and must change;

• America faces existential threats from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and terrorism—all made worse by Biden’s weakening of our armed forces and his disastrous exodus from Afghanistan;

• COVID shots should be voluntary—not mandatory—and that includes everyone including children and the military;

• I’ve sponsored legislation to invite the thousands of women and men in the military back after being fired by Biden and for those who don’t want to return, an honorable discharge not the general discharge they have gotten that precludes and disqualifies them from getting veterans benefits like the GI higher education bill;

• (A few months ago, I offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to at least ensure separated servicemembers who refused the shot received an honorable The Democrats on the Rules Committee refused to even allow a floor vote on my amendment. I’ll try again);

• The Democrats have not held Biden to account on anything and there have been no oversight hearings or investigations on his policies. That’s about to change.

Clearly, we have much to do when Republicans take control in January.

We have to create an economy that’s strong and a nation that’s safe.

A future built on freedom and a government that’s accountable.

So, as we begin this all-important work, let us be inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address: “With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”