Rep. Jim Costa Congratulates Rep. Jackie Speier for Her Distinguished Public Service Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) applauded Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) for receiving the Assembly’s Deukmejian Award for Public Service.

“It gives me great pleasure to mark this special occasion to celebrate U.S.-Armenian relations, and how far we have come. Since the establishment of the Armenian Assembly more than 45 years ago, the Assembly has continuously been on the forefront of promoting public awareness of U.S.-Armenian issues, supporting democracy in Armenia and Artsakh, and advancing universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” Rep. Costa told the Assembly.

“We are gathered here today to also celebrate dedicated public servants who have strengthened U.S.-Armenian Relations. It gives me great pleasure and honor to congratulate the recipient of the Public Service Award for this year – our fellow colleague, and Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving with Congresswoman Speier from the California State Assembly, Senate, and here in the House of Representatives. Her tenacity and passion for public service is unparalleled. Congresswoman Speier has been an advocate of human rights across the globe before she became an elected official. We are all lucky to have her as a colleague and a strong leader as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus. Congresswoman, congratulations again and thank you for your leadership,” he said.

Congresswoman Speier was honored for her exemplary work in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as her leadership, dedication, and passionate support of Armenia and Artsakh. Armenian American leaders and activists throughout the United States attended the Gala in Washington, D.C., which was part of the Armenian Assembly of America’s 2019 National Advocacy Conference.

“As a Caucus, we must continue to fulfill the mission of the Caucus and build on our accomplishments such as continued foreign aid, demining efforts in Artsakh, and ultimately, universal Armenian Genocide recognition. Coming from the land of William Saroyan, I am proud of all the efforts put forth by the Caucus and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on enhancing U.S.-Armenian relations,” Rep. Costa added.

“I want to congratulate Rep. Speier, again, for receiving this honor, and to thank the Armenian Assembly for recognizing her and for all the work you do to advocate on behalf of Armenian-Americans.

The full letter is available here.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR#: 2019-049