ANC-PAC ENDORSES ARMENIAN AMERICAN WOMAN RUNNING FOR CONGRESS

armradio.am
07.02.2008 18:26

The Political Action Committee (ANC-PAC) has endorsed Jackie Speier in
her campaign to serve as the next U.S. Representative for California’s
12th Congressional District. Speier, who is of Armenian descent, has
served as a County Supervisor, State Assemblymember and State Senator
in a distinguished career that has spanned over three decades. Since
1980, California’s 12th Congressional District has been represented
by Tom Lantos (D-CA), who recently announced that he would not seek
reelection in 2008 due to a diagnosis of cancer.

"We know that Jackie will be an effective fighter in Congress for
her constituents," said ANC-PAC supporter Roxanne Makasdjian. "She’s
dedicated to human rights and democracy, and she knows the challenges
that Armenian Americans face in addressing U.S. policy in the Caucasus
and genocide denial on Capitol Hill."

"The Armenian National Committee of America have made phenomenal
strides in educating Congress on the importance of recognizing the
Armenian Genocide," said Speier. "I value my longstanding friendship
with the ANC, and look forward to promoting in Congress all the
successful measures I have pursued on behalf of Armenian Americans
in the CA State Legislature," she added.

Jackie Speier’s career as a public servant began in the 1980s when
she won a seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. After
serving for six years as a San Mateo County Supervisor, she made a
successful bid for the State Assembly and in 1998 was elected to the
State Senate. In 2006 she attempted to gain the California Democratic
Party’s nomination for Lieutenant Governor, but was narrowly defeated
by John Garamendi.

The San Jose Mercury News has previously reported that "no one
comes close to Speier’s remarkable record of getting substantive
legislation signed into law." In fact, her legislative success
over the years was once rated "Ruthian" by the Los Angeles Times,
a reference to baseball’s prolific homerun king Babe Ruth. According
to state legislative records, as a member of the California State
Assembly and later State Senate, Speier authored over 300 bills that
have been signed into law by Democratic and Republican Governors.

The 12th Congressional District, which is home to an active Armenian
American community, encompasses San Mateo County and a portion of San
Francisco. The district is located just to the south of California’s
8th Congressional District, which is represented by Nancy Pelosi,
the Speaker of the House.

Speier has been a longtime friend to many Armenian American
activists in the San Francisco-Bay Area. She will be honored by
the San Francisco-Bay Area Armenian National Committee chapter on
March 8th at their annual banquet. In 2005, Speier was honored in
Los Angeles by the Armenian National Committee – Western Region as
the organization’s Woman of the Year.

Among her legislative achievements on Armenian issues, Speier
co-authored a bill, that was later signed into law, allowing California
families of victims of the Armenian Genocide to bring claims arising
out of the failure of banks to pay or turn over their deposited or
looted assets.