Armenian National Committee of Oregon
c/o Rafael Saakyan, Chair
7916 North Wall Avenue
Portland, OR 97203
E-mail: rsaakyan@yahoo.com
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
March 13, 2007
Contact: Rafael Saakyan
E-mail: rsaakyan@yahoo.com
OREGON AND WASHINGTON COMMUNITIES MEET WITH U.S. REPRESENTATIVES HOOLEY
AND BAIRD
— Representative Baird Decides to Cosponsor Armenian Genocide Resolution
PORTLAND, OR – Members of the greater Portland-area and southwestern
Washington State communities held meetings with the district offices of
Congresswoman Darlene Hooley (D-OR-05) and Congressman Brian Baird
(D-WA-03) on March 7, 2007 to ask the representatives to cosponsor
H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide resolution that was introduced in the
House of Representatives earlier this year. Organized by ANC of Oregon
Chairman Rafael Saakyan, the meetings were also aimed at continuing to
strengthen local grassroots relationships with each Representative.
Saakyan was joined by activist David Tufenkian as well as Armenian
Community of Oregon Vice President Ed Shabanian for a meeting with
Congressional Staffer Jen Wagner at Rep. Hooley’s West Linn district
office. Wagner had met with Saakyan along with Armenian Apostolic
Church of Portland Parish Council Chairman Kevork Parseghian and
ANCA-Western Region Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian
previously during which they had discussed many issues of concern to the
Oregon Armenian community, including the Armenian Genocide resolution
from the previous Congress. Wagner noted the Congresswoman’s interest
in the current resolution and encouraged the ANC of Oregon to continue
its efforts to bring this constituent concern to the Congresswoman’s
attention.
Later that afternoon, Saakyan joined southwestern Washington residents
John Coutsoubos, Arthur Lazaretyan, Mike Kazanjian, as well as Mr. and
Mrs. Petros Bournelis for a meeting with Rep. Baird’s District Director,
Kelly Love. Love thanked the Congressman’s constituents for bringing
the issue to her attention and welcomed them to continue to work with
the ANC at the local, regional, and national levels regarding Rep.
Baird’s support for the resolution.
As a direct result of these key constituent meetings and relationships,
Representative Baird has agreed to cosponsor the Armenian Genocide
resolution, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 184.
"We wanted to make sure our elected officials were aware of the
significance of this resolution and why it was important to support it,"
said Saakyan. "This resolution sends a clear message that our Congress
has the strength to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and provide the
moral foundation to help us fight the continuing specter of genocide
that confronts us today in Darfur."
The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most
influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working
in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters
throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the
world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American
community on a broad range of issues.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Saakyan, Parseghian and Hovsepian meet with Jen Wagner
at Congresswoman Darlene Hooley’s West Linn district office this past
August. Wagner met with Saakyan and Congresswoman Hooley’s constituents
on March 7, 2007 to discuss H.Res.106.