The AHEPAN - Spring 2016 - 20

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

AHEPA Attends Briefing with U.S.
Ambassador to Cyprus

President Signs
Defense Bill into
Law; Contains
Provision on U.S.Cyprus Security
Relationship

Supreme Vice President Andrew Zachariades represented AHEPA at a briefing U.S.
Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus Kathleen Doherty held
with American Hellenic community leaders, Jan. 13, at the
Department of State. The ambassador briefed the community on
U.S.-Cyprus relations as well as the United States' perspective on
settlement talks. The detailed briefing lasted one hour.

Following the meeting, Supreme Vice President
Zachariades visited with staff of U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur
(R-NJ), who is in his first term in Congress. AHEPA and its mission, along with
the Hellenic Caucus, were discussed.

AHEPA Welcomes Three
Representatives to Hellenic Caucus
AHEPA welcomes news that three U.S. representatives have joined the Congressional
Caucus on Hellenic Issues, announced Supreme President John W. Galanis. In recent
months, U.S. Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Steve Pearce (R-NM)
have joined the growing bipartisan caucus
co-chaired by U.S. Reps.
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
"We sincerely thank
Representatives Zeldin,
U.S. Rep. Zeldin
U.S. Rep. Luján
U.S. Rep. Pearce
Luján, and Pearce for
joining the Hellenic Caucus," Galanis said. "We look forward to working with them,
and their staffs, on issues of importance to the American Hellenic community."
Congressman Zeldin represents New York's First Congressional District, which
includes eastern Long Island. He is a member of the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs. Congressman Luján represents New Mexico's Third Congressional District,
which includes Santa Fe. He is member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee. Congressman Pearce, who served as a combat pilot during the Vietnam
War, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, serves on the House Committee on
Financial Services and chairs the Congressional Western Caucus.
Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 134.

2016 Save The Date

President Barack Obama signed the
2016 National Defense Authorization
Act into law, Nov. 25, 2015. The bill
contains a provision (Section 1276)
that authorizes a report to be issued on
the security relationship between the
U.S. and the Republic of Cyprus. The
report's content is to include, among
other elements, an analysis of the
impact of U.S. policy to impose an
arms embargo upon Cyprus to the
security relationship between the two
nations.
"We welcome this assessment of
the security relationship between two
strong allies, the United States and
the Republic of Cyprus," Supreme
President John Galanis said. "We
sincerely thank Congressmen Gus
Bilirakis and David Cicilline for authorizing the provision, and we thank the
congressional conferees who kept the
provision in the bill during deliberations to hammer out a final bill."
In July, AHEPA outreached to
Capitol Hill in support of the provision
through congressional meetings and a
letter from Supreme President Galanis
to key members of the Armed Services
Committees.

May 25

AHEPA Family Capitol Hill Day

20

|

THE AHEPAN · Spring 2016

www.ahepa.org

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs112/1102913833436/archive/1121766257297.html http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs112/1102913833436/archive/1121766257297.html http://files.ctctcdn.com/cd989cac001/d711f0c9-8d7d-45f0-8c19-e08ab6711f71.pdf http://files.ctctcdn.com/cd989cac001/d711f0c9-8d7d-45f0-8c19-e08ab6711f71.pdf http://www.ahepa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN - Spring 2016