LETTER: N.J. congressman shouldn’t live in Virginia

The following letter appears on the Asbury Park Press website and has been shared rather extensively on social media:

As Congress breaks and members of Congress go to their home states, our Monmouth/Ocean County congressman, Chris Smith, goes home to Virginia. Smith has not been a resident of New Jersey for more than 30 years. He moved full time to Virginia after his second term. Smith raised his children in Virginia where they received Virginia in-state tuition for college.

Smith was not here for 9/11, Hurricane Irene or superstorm Sandy. He does not drive on our roads, shop in our stores, contribute to our economy, sit in our traffic or live among us. Smith does not share our collective experience as a community. He is not one of us so how can we expect him to represent us properly?

The law requires that our elected congressional representative obtain a habitat in the state they represent. Smith has maintained an empty town home in Mercer County and owns a home in Virginia. Smith comes to New Jersey a handful of times a year to make appearances.

In 2015, Smith voted to block birth control from being covered by private insurance, voted to allow bosses to fire women for using birth control, IVF, being unwed and pregnant, voted to defund breast and cervical cancer screenings for women, and sponsored a bill to allow LGBT discrimination based on religious beliefs.

Our community is moderate. Smith is an extremist who lives in Virginia. Why do we put up with it?

Jeannette Mistretta

Freehold