Category: News

The Azerbaijani government’s crackdown on independent and critical voices has a particularly damaging effect ahead of the country’s 1 November parliamentary elections, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s democracy and human rights Chairperson, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), said today.

“Citizen election-observer Anar Mammadli cannot monitor the vote from inside a jail cell. Journalist Khadija Ismayilova cannot report on the campaign from behind bars. Intigam Aliyev, Rasul Jafarov, Leyla Yunus — the list of human rights defenders and government-critics who have been made political prisoners in Azerbaijan goes on and on. On the eve of parliamentary elections, when independent voices are crucial for having an informed debate about the country’s direction, Azerbaijani citizens will especially suffer from the silence their government has imposed,” Santos said.

The Chairperson also expressed concern regarding recent reports that opposition leader Ilgar Mammadov has been abused in prison. He was sentenced in March 2014 to 7 years in jail on charges widely considered to be politically motivated.

“I urge Azerbaijan’s leaders to engage with their citizens and with the international community in an open and honest dialogue aimed at bringing human rights and rule of law back to the country,” Santos said.

She reiterated her openness to constructive engagement with Azerbaijan’s authorities on these and other democracy-related issues.

The Chairperson further expressed hope that the Azerbaijani government will choose to abide by its OSCE election-monitoring commitments and allow the Organization to conduct full, unrestricted observation missions to future elections in the country.

The leadership of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly cancelled a planned observation mission to the upcoming parliamentary elections after its traditional observation partner, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), was forced to cancel its mission due to restrictions imposed on its work by Azerbaijan’s authorities.

– The symbol of the confiscation of the properties of Armenian society, Kamp Armen’s deed has been returned to Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation. Foundation’s lawyer Sebu Aslangil declared that the returning process is done.

The most unconscientious confiscation

Kamp Armen is one of the most important memory centers of Armenian society. Tuzla Armenian Children’s Camp, which was bought by Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation with the permission of the governorship and General Directorate for Foundations, hosted children from outside Istanbul for years, including Hrant Dink and Rakel Dink.

The land that was bought by Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation, with its facility that was built by children themselves, was returned to the original owner by the state on the basis of 1936 Declaration. The confiscation process was ended on 1987, when the Supreme Court affirmed the decision.

Administrators of the foundation took all the legal actions they can for getting the camp back, but they obtained no results. Even the law suits that they were opened to get compensation for the facility they built on the empty land remained inconclusive.

With the changes in Law of Foundations in 2011, the process of returning the confiscated properties of the foundations began and an application was made to General Directorate for Foundations for Tuzla Children’s Camp. However, the Directorate didn’t consider the camp as a “confiscated property” because the sale was annulled legally; so, there was no returning or compensation.

175 days of resistance

Fatih Ulusoy, the owner of the camp land, tried to demolish the facilities of the camp, but the demolition was stopped because of people’s reaction. After that, the negotiations between NGO representatives of Armenian society and politicians started; Prime Minister Davutoğlu intervened and the returning process begun. During this process, Nor Zartonk and Kamp Armen Solidarity Movement were on watch on the camp. During this watch, activists were attacked twice.

A part is expropriated

On May 22, Ulusoy declared that he will return the deed to the foundation. However, he didn’t do it despite his announcement. Meanwhile, the meeting with committees including officials from Tuzla Municipality, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and AKP government continued.

While the meetings were continuing, Tuzla Municipality expropriated a part of the camp land; so, the land that was owned by Ulusoy became smaller. After the expropriation, as a result of the meetings, Ulusoy returned the deed to Gedikpaşa Armenian Protestant Church Foundation.

Melik Ohanian (born in 1969, in Lyon), a French artist of Armenian heritage, was award the 15th annual Marcel Duchamp Prize this weekend during the Fiac art fair, reports.

While many expected the winner to be the emerging artist Neïl Beloufa, who has received a lot of international attention in recent years, the jury asserted its independence. “We wished to celebrate the coherence of the aim of the artist who, for 20 years, has developed a personal oeuvre based on a particular attention to the relationships between science, astrophysics and visual arts,” said Bernard Blistène, the director of the Centre Pompidou who led the jury.

Ohanian’s body of work does not hesitate to capture the great evils of the world. His film DAYS, I See what I Saw and what I will See, which is about immigrant workers in the United Arab Emirates, was originally commissioned for—but withdrawn from—the 2011 Sharjah Biennial. His work is also included in the group show for that country’s pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale.

At Fiac, where he was represented by Paris’s Galerie Chantal Crousel, Ohanian presented a series of seven photographs animated and mounted in light boxes, which show the one-second change in state from solid to liquid of the element Cesium 133, stretched over one minute.

President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting today with the President of the Presidential Council for Nuclear Energy Safety, Adolf Berghoffer, at the Government Reception House, who has arrived in Armenia to take part in the 14th regular session of the RA Presidential Council for Nuclear Energy Safety (PCNES).

The Armenian president and the PCNES president touched upon the scheduled works aimed at increasing the level of ANPP security, the events envisioned by the program for extension of the ANPP second energy block’s operation terms, talked about issues concerning the construction of the ANPP new energy block and about the cooperation with the IAEA, including within the frames of the OSART mission.

Following the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan and PCNES President Adolf Berghoffer took part in the session of the Presidential Council for Nuclear Energy Safety at the Government Reception House where the president delivered opening remarks.
During the session, ANPP CJSC Acting Director-General M. Vardanyan presented to the council members the activities of the ANPP.

A. Martirosyan, chairman of the RA State Nuclear Safety Regulatory Committee by the Government, presented the report of the Armenian nuclear safety regulatory body for the 2013-2015 period which was followed by discussions on the presented reports.

Opening Remarks by RA President Serzh Sargsyan at the 14th Session of the Presidential Council for Nuclear Energy Safety

Dear chair,

Dear council members and participants,

Opening the 14th session of nuclear energy safety council I’d like to express sincere gratitude to all the council members for their professional support in the implementation of the national program for the improvement of safety level of the operational unit of the Armenian NPP.

The Armenian NPP plays a special role in uninterrupted power supply of the republic of Armenia and therefore your work is very important for us. Thank you very much.

Over the period that has elapsed since the previous session some changes took place in the composition of the council. Due to mr Bezzubov’s transfer to another post we included Mr. Alexey Ferapontov. Thank you for your agreement to join our council. Thank you very much.

Alexey Victorovich we wish you successful and fruitful work.

In a week, on November 5, it will be 20 years after the restart of unit 2 of the Armenian NPP after 6 years of conservation. It is a unique project in many aspects. An unprecedented amount of rehabilitation work was performed utilizing numerous original engineering solutions. Since unit-2 restart, over 1400 measures have been taken to raise its safety level.

On September 17, this year, in Vienna the 7th technical session on coordination of international aid to raise the Armenian NPP’s safety was held. The priority program of measures was discussed at the session to raise the safety of unit-2.

I want to avail myself of the opportunity to thank the IAEA, the governments of the USA, RF, Czech Republic, the UK, France, Italy and the European Commission for technical support over these years.

Dear participants

In December 2014, and February 2015 the governments of the Republic of Armenia and Russian federation signed agreements on cooperation in the project for extension of operation of unit-2 and extension of a state export loan to the government of the Republic of Armenia. Both agreements have come into force and the work has commenced.

The program for extension of operation of unit-2 will be implemented in two stages:

First, integrated research program for systems, equipment, components and structures of the NPP.

Second, necessary replacement of and upgrade for obtaining a license for operation within additional deadline, and measures to raise the safety level of the Armenian NPP, including the ones suggested in the report based on stress test under technical support of the European commission.

Under the 1st stage, the research of 4500 units of equipment, systems and components has been finalized. The report for stage 1 will be finalized in March 2016.

In parallel, we have started to work on stage 2. We hope despite short deadlines Russian specialists with active involvement of Armenian specialists will implement the whole amount of work on time and with high quality.

On October 7, this year, the first session of the joint coordination committee to extend the operation of unit-2 of the Armenian NPP was held. Within the framework of this session, the governments of Armenia and Russian federation signed an agreement on rapid notification about nuclear accident and information exchange in nuclear and radiation safety.

In accordance with government decree of July 31, 2014 on the approval of the action plan for 2014-2020, the commission date of the new nuclear unit is synchronized with the decommissioning date of the operating unit. Thus Armenia confirms its intention to develop nuclear energy and this domain occupies a key position in energy development program.

Detailed information on the implementation of recommendations of the previous session of the safety council will be presented by the heads of the Armenian NPP and the State Committee for Regulation of Nuclear Safety. I’d like you to focus on a number of fundamental issues.

Under EU technical support, the drafting of the document “Strategy for Nuclear Waste Management and Waste Nuclear Fuel” is almost over. The analysis of current situation and of the acting legislation is over. After approval of the strategy, the government will develop and approve the Implementation Plan.

According to the provisions of the Unified Convention for Safe NW Management and Waste Nuclear Fuel, in May 2015 Armenia submitted its first national report to the IAEA.

To rectify the comments of OSART mission to the Armenian NPP, a document called Program and management plan for RW at the Armenian NPP was developed.

The purpose of the program is to bring RW management at the Armenian NPP in compliance with modern requirements. Stage by stage implementation of the program is planned in 2016-2019, using loans for operation extension project.

IAEA mission assessed the probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) for the seismic stability of unit-2 of the Armenian NPP. IAEA’s recommendations have been completely implemented and reflected in the final report, and today we can state that seismic safety of the Armenian NPP meets modern safety requirements and target indicators for existing nuclear plants.

To improve personnel training at the Armenian NPP, it is necessary to elevate the current simulator to its full potential. This year, the NPP will allocate its own funds to implement this work.

The Armenian plant shall concentrate its efforts, both financial and technical, on successful completion of work.

Now, I will say a few words about the personnel training situation at the ANPP.

Last year, some heads of the ANPP were relieved of their posts for the improper performance of their duties. I would like to urge the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources to use our financial resources effectively to ensure the security and safety of plant operations and fulfill the tasks on time. We have agreed with the leadership of the energy ministry and with the new leadership of the ANPP to fully rule out negative phenomena.

I think that the human resource management policy is of primary importance to Armenia’s all nuclear energy branches. It is important to improve and keep skilled specialists both at the plant and all the specialized agencies.

Additional information

The RA Presidential Council on Nuclear Power Safety was created in 1996 by the decree of the President of Armenia. This independent advisory body was established based on the need to ensure safe operations of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.

The Council comprises scientists and experts of internationa
l recognition and repute.

The Council carries out its functions through the annual meetings of the body.
The Charter stipulates that the Council’s main objectives are:

 • formation of the priority directions for the nuclear power safety and development, drafting of the tasks pertinent to the existing problems
• analysis and expertise of the drafts of the normative legal acts related to the peaceful and safe use of the nuclear power which are being presented to the President of the Republic of Armenia.

The members of the Council are:

• Adolf Birkhofer – Chairman of the Council (Germany)
• Vahram Petrossian – Executive Secretary of the Council (Armenia)
• Robert Avagian (Armenia)
• Alexander Lokshin (RF)
• Vladimir Asmolov (RF)
• Aleksey Ferapontov (RF)
• Robert Badnits (US)
• Bernard Gesdont (France)
• Gerald Ouzunian (France)
• Christopher Watson (Great Britain)
• Miroslav Lipar (IEAE, Austria)
• Jozeph Mishak (Czech Republic)

Rescue efforts are being stepped up to help those affected by the magnitude-7.5 earthquake which hit remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday, the BBC reports.

At least 300 people are known to have died, and about 2,000 were injured.

Rescue teams have been sent to remote mountainous areas where the effects of the quake are still unclear.

The quake’s focus was deep, reducing its impact. Victims included 12 Afghan schoolgirls killed in a stampede as they tried to leave their classes.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in a televised address, urged those living in affected areas to help the rescue effort.

The Taliban, which controls parts of the province, called on aid agencies “not to hold back” relief supplies and ordered its fighters to help the victims.

On October 27, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission conducted a monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the Martakert-Tartar road section, with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen.

The monitoring was led by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Khristo Khristov (Bulgaria) and Jiri Aberle (Czech Republic).

From the opposite side of the line of contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Yevgeny Sharov (Ukraine) and staff member of the Office Peter Svedberg.

During the monitoring, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office crossed the Line of Contact from the NKR side to Azerbaijan’s territory.

However, at the end of the monitoring shots fired from submachine guns from the Azerbaijani side were registered.

From the Karabakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

The country of Armenia may be getting its first conservation center for reptiles and amphibians thanks to a crowd-funding campaign launched by the Saint Louis Zoo, reports.

The goal of the online fundraising is to raise $40,000, so the zoo’s WildCare Institute Center for Conservation in Western Asia can buy a building to help breed and ultimately save endangered species like the Armn vieniaper.

Center director and zoo herpetologist Jeff Ettling has been working in Armenia for more than a decade, particularly studying the viper. In that time, he said he learned a lot about how important conservation efforts are to the country that’s one of 24 unique biodiversity hotspots in the world.

“It has a high level of endemism; quite a few species of reptiles and amphibians occur there and nowhere else in the world,” he said. Endemism means a species lives only in one defined geographic area.

Ettling said the country’s minister of nature protection, Dr. Aramais Grigoryan, and other researchers also recently completed a new analysis of the state of the country’s animals. Of Armenia’s 58 unique species of amphibians and reptiles, 30 are considered endangered.

“Really what we need to do is develop some sort of captive breeding facility, where we could pull in the 11 most critically endangered amphibians and reptiles, so we could breed them…and then put the offspring back in the wild to augment the populations, similar to what we’ve been doing here in Missouri with the Ozark hellbenders,” he said.

Ettling said the targeted crowd-funding campaign, which will run until December 1, is the first of its kind for the zoo, and he said the goal is to be green and sustainable by buying and retrofitting an existing building outside of Yerevan, the nation’s capital city.

“It’s all about putting money back into the country where we’ve spent a lot of time studying the reptiles and amphibians and we know the needs there,” Ettling said. “All the money goes to get the facility started. Our ultimate goal is zero extinction for any of those species there.”

While he’s learned a lot from his Armenian colleagues, he has also been able to share some technology and conservation science with them. That’s why he said it’s important that the new conservation center also have a space for visiting researchers so scientists have a place to exchange information.

“We want to make it a really useful facility, not only for captive propagation, but also for scientific investigations that might be going on with collaborations with outside researchers and our colleagues in Armenia,” he said.

Ettling said the zoo and its partners hope the breeding center project will start next June.

Islamic State militants have killed three captives in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra by tying them to columns and blowing them up, activists say, the BBC reports.

The identities of those reportedly killed on Sunday have yet to be given.

But they are thought to be the first to have been killed in that way since the jihadist group seized the ruins in May.

IS has destroyed two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers at Palmyra, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world.

The group believes that such structures are idolatrous. The UN cultural agency, Unesco, has condemned the destruction as a war crime.

Senior Members of the U.S. House Armed Services, Appropriations and Intelligence committees joined Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) and over 80 of their colleagues in calling upon the Obama Administration to support the implementation of concrete, pro-peace measures to de-escalate aggression along the borders between Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Violence along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh has increased dramatically, and the Administration policy of non-attribution when condemning violations isn’t working,” explained Chairman Royce.  “It must change.  In our letter, we propose a few common sense steps for the U.S. and the Minsk Group to take to deter further violence.  Specifically, the call for all parties to withdraw snipers, and the proposal to deploy OSCE monitors and equip them with gunfire locator systems, provides tools to increase transparency and accountability for each and every cross-boundary violation.  Ambassador Warlick should support these proposals, and press for their adoption by other Minsk Group partners,” concluded Royce.

“We commend Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel and more than 80 of their House colleagues for proposing common-sense steps to stop the killings, and, more broadly, for promoting an accountability-based approach to peace,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.  “This bipartisan letter powerfully underscores that America’s leaders – in both Congress and the White House – stand, along with Armenia and Artsakh, on the side of peace. Azerbaijan, in rejecting these peace-keeping measures, persisting in its cross-border attacks, and blocking investigative mechanisms to determine responsibility for acts of violence, is only further confirming its role as the aggressive party and deepening its international isolation.”

The Royce-Engel letter, addressed to Ambassador Warlick – the U.S. representative to the OSCE’s Minsk Group tasked with reaching a resolution of Nagorno Karabakh-related security and status issues – specifically calls for the U.S. and OSCE to abandon their failed policy of false parity in responding to acts of aggression, noting that: “The longstanding U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation. Instead, this policy of artificial evenhandedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.”

The letter outlines three concrete pro-peace steps that would, “in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war. Over the longer term,” the letter notes, “these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region:”

— An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

–The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

— The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have both expressed support for these life-saving initiatives; Azerbaijan has not.

Ambassador James Warlick has voiced the Obama Administration’s support for common-sense measures.  In a statement issued to H1 Television’s Haykaram Nahapetyan, Ambassador Warlick explained, “We fully support the initiatives proposed by Congressman Royce and Congressman Engel. Confidence building measures and people-to-people programs reduce tensions and lay the basis for a lasting peace. We have raised each of these initiatives with the parties and will continue to pursue all steps that can lead to a negotiated settlement,” concluded Warlick.

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, Executive Director Aram Hamparian, Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian and the ANCA Eastern Region’s Armen Sahakyan met with Ambassador Warlick in September, in the immediate aftermath of the latest fatal Azerbaijani attacks against Armenia and Artsakh, expressing concern about the OSCE negotiators’ reluctance to clearly and unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s fatal ceasefire violations.

Joining House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel in signing the letter are:  Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley (D-NY); Democratic Caucus Chair of Policy and Communications Steve Israel (D-NY); Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-WA); Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee Sander Levin (D-MI); Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee Nita Lowey (D-NY); Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Ranking Member of the Budget Committee Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Ranking Member of the Ethics Committee Linda Sanchez (D-CA); Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); Chairman and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights Chris Smith (R-NJ) andKaren Bass (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East Ted Deutch (D-FL); Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Albio Sires (D-NJ); Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia Brad Sherman (D-CA); Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ); Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior Betty McCollum (D-MN); Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture Sam Farr (D-CA); Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel Joe Heck (R-NV); Ranking Member of the Armed Subcommittee on Oversight Jackie Speier (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces Loretta Sanchez (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging ThreatsJames Langevin (D-RI); Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU); Ranking Member of the Intelligence Subcommittee on Emerging Threats Mike Quigley (D-IL); Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security Kathleen Rice (D-NY); Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight Peter Roskam (R-IL); Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Jim McDermott (D-WA); Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade Charles Rangel (D-NY); Chairman and Ranking Members of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Chairman of the Education Subcommittee on Workforce Protection Tim Walberg (R-MI); Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ);Chairman of Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads Jeff Denham (R-CA); Ranking Member of Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources Grace Napolitano (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Transportation Subcommittee on Highways Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC); Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Technology Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Trade Jan Schakowsky (D-IL); Ranking Member on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment Paul Tonko (D-NY); Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Zoe Lofgren (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Alan Lowenthal (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands Niki Tsongas (D-MA); Ranking Member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Foreign Agriculture Jim Costa (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology Suzan DelBene (D-WA); Ranking Member on the Oversight Subcommittee on National Security Stephen Lynch (D-MA); Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee on the Interior Brenda Lawrence (D-MI); Ranking Member of Science and Space Subcommittee on Oversight Donald Beyer (D-VA); Ranking Member of Science and Space Subcommittee on Research Daniel Lipinski (D-IL); Ranking Member on the Small Business Subcommittee on Trade Grace Meng (D-NY); Ranking Member of the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth Judy Chu (D-CA); Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight Mike Coffman (R-CO); Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance Dina Titus (D-NV); Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights CommissionJim McGovern (D-MA); Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Robert Dold (R-IL); Congressional Hellenic Caucus Chairman and Armenian Caucus Vice-Chairman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Representatives: Mike Bishop (R-MI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dave Brat (R-VA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Yvette Clark (D-NY), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Daniel Donovan (R-NY), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Janice Hahn (D-CA), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Michael Honda (D-CA), Joe Kennedy (D-MA), Steve Knight (R-CA), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), David Trott (R-MI), David Valadao (R-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).