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SAE Lobbys During 12th Annual Cyprus Conference
601 13th Street, N.W., #1150 South, Washington, D.C. 20005
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GREEK-AMERICAN LEADERS LOBBY 33 KEY SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DURING 12th ANNUAL CYPRUS CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 12--The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, and many other influential Senators and Members of Congress in the U.S. foreign policy chain met with Greek-American leaders in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss Cyprus and other Hellenic issues. In all, 33 Senators and Members serving on the key committees and subcommittees that influence Hellenic issues participated in the 12th Annual Cyprus Conference in Washington, D.C. June 5-7, 2001.
Over 120 conference participants - including many prominent and politically active Greek-American leaders, delegations of Cypriots from Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as three Members of Parliament from Canada and one from Sweden - met in Washington, D.C. with over 50 top U.S. foreign policy-makers. This conference was hosted by PSEKA and SAE and co-hosted by CEH.
With respect to the U.S. Senate, the new Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), former Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT), and the new Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Greek-American Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), led the list of prominent Senators who met with conference participants.
Others from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who met with conference participants included: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the soon-to-be Chairman of the International Operations Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator John Kerry (D-MA), the soon-to-be Chairman of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee. Those representing the crucial Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee included: Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), who is also Chair of the VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD). From the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who is in line to become the Chairman of the Strategic Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee, joined Senator Lieberman in meeting with conference participants. In addition, Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) participated in this conference. Greek- American Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who is a member of the Republican leadership in the Senate and a former member of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, was unable to participate in this conference due to a bill-signing ceremony at the White House scheduled at the same time conference participants visited the United States Senate.
With respect to the U.S. House of Representatives, both the new Chairman and the new Ranking Democrat of the House International Relations Committee, Congressmen Henry Hyde (R-IL) and Tom Lantos (D-CA), respectively, met with conference participants. The conference honored Congressman Lantos along with his colleagues Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA), the Chairman of the Military Readiness Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Steve Rothman (D-NJ), a new member of the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. These three Members of Congress were presented with a plaque containing an actual piece of the barbed wire that divides Cyprus for their efforts to help remove this barbed wire from the island.
The Chairman Emeritus of the House International Relations Committee and member of the Europe Subcommittee, Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY), the Chair of the Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and the Ranking Democrat of the new Europe Subcommittee, Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL), led the list of other key Members of Congress from the International Relations Committee who participated in this conference. The others included: members of the Europe Subcommittee Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), who was also the author of the Missing in Cyprus Bill and is Co-chair of the Albanian Caucus, and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA); and from the full committee, Congressman Doug Bereuter (R-NE), who was a front-runner for the new chairmanship of the committee, Greek-American Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV), whose family is from the Jewish community of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Congressman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who is also the fourth in line in the House Democratic Leadership as the Vice-Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
The key House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee was
represented by the new Ranking Democrat, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY),
the former Ranking Democrat, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and
Congressman Rothman, who was honored earlier in the day. Congressman
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), a member of the full House Appropriations
Committee, also addressed participants.
From the House Armed Services Committee, in addition to Subcommittee
Chairman Weldon who was honored earlier in the day, Congressman Mark Kirk
(R-IL), who is also Vice President of the Republican freshman class,
Congressman James Langevin (D-RI), and Congressman Jim Maloney (D-CT)
participated in the conference. The Co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus
on Hellenic Issues, Greek-American Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL),
who is also Vice-Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), participated in the conference.
Other key members participating included: Greek-American Congressman George
Gekas (R-PA), who is Chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the House
Judiciary Committee, Congressman Peter Deutsch (D-FL), a former member of
the House International Relations Committee and whose wife's family is from
the Jewish community in Thessaloniki, Greece, Congressman Frank Pallone
(D-NJ) and Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD).
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