ANCA-ER LOCAL COMMITTEES MEET WITH HOUSE REPS. DURING AUGUST RECESS
August 17, 2013 – 10:38 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern
Region (ANCA-ER) has been voicing the values and concerns of Armenian
Americans with U.S. representatives in their district offices while
Congress is on August recess, ANCA-ER reported.
The ANC of New Jersey was accompanied by Michelle Hagopian, ANCA
Eastern Region Executive Director, to a meeting with Rep. Jon Runyan
(R-NJ-3) on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The meeting was at his Mount
Laurel district office in southern New Jersey.
“These district meetings are vital to the ebb and flow of the ANCA-ER’s
activity. Even though we connect with representatives in Washington,
we lay the foundation locally in the district. We appreciate the
cooperation of elected officials like Rep. Runyan for meeting with
our activists, who are always willing to voice their concerns and
advance the Armenian cause,” said Hagopian.
Andrew and Madonna Kzirian, two constituents of Rep. Runyan, attended
the meeting and brought a few pamphlets and books on the Armenian
Genocide as a gift to the Congressman. House Resolution 227, the
Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, was a main point of
discussion in the meeting as the ANCA-ER works to increase the number
of cosponsors on the resolution.
Hagopian also accompanied Vatche Kaloustian of the ANC of Pennsylvania
to a meeting with the office of Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA-7) on
Wednesday, August 14. The discussion ranged from the history of
the Genocide to the self-determination and democratic nature of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, which included a briefing on the history
of the region and the aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenians.
In the Midwest, the newly formed ANC of Missouri has been hard at
work getting to know their elected officials as well. On Wednesday,
August 7, ANC-MO activists Jake Varadian and John Donjoian met with
the office of Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) to cultivate a relationship
with the Congresswoman.
The pair discussed the St. Louis metropolitan area community, including
the Granite City, Ill., Armenian Apostolic church, St.
Gregory the Illuminator. The fact that the St. Louis area has a
sizeable population of Baku Armenians provided a solid framework
to discuss Nagorno Karabakh and the far-reaching roots it has in
Missouri and Illinois. ANC-MO also gave personal accounts of their
familial ties to the Genocide, emphasized the importance of culture
that Armenian Americans bring to the area, and urged Rep. Wagner to
push for more trade and aid to Armenia.
ANCA-ER has other meetings scheduled in the district for this month
and into September, while some local ANCs such as the ANC of Rhode
Island have met with their representatives already and have made
plans to meet with their Senators before the recess is over.
U.S. Congress returns to session in Washington, DC on September 9.
From: A. Papazian