WASHINGTON—Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) National Board member Ari Killian joined with some 100 friends and supporters to rally support for Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Mark Kirk’s (R-Ill.) bid for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat once held by President Obama, reported the ANCA.
With the backdrop of his boyhood home in Kenilworth, Kirk pledged to “restore ethics and integrity to Illinois government” and focused on the economy and ending the war in Iraq. During his remarks, he also expressed his appreciation to the Armenian American community for its steadfast support throughout his nearly decade-long service in the House and the importance of genocide recognition.
In 2000, the ANCA endorsed Kirk in a hotly contested 12-person Republican primary, and he has subsequently been reelected to serve the people of Illinois’ 10th congressional district with the full engagement of ANCA activists in Illinois.
“Rep. Kirk has been an outspoken champion of Armenian American concerns,” stated Killian. “As a member of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and as the Republican co-chair of the Armenian Caucus, he has worked tirelessly for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, advocating for strong levels of foreign aid for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh, and seeking an end to Azerbaijan’s warmongering over Karabagh”.
Kirk began his career on the staff of his predecessor, John Porter, who along with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in 1995. He later served in the World Bank, the State Department, the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, and the U.S. House International Relations Committee.
Kirk, who holds the rank of Commander, is a Naval Reserve intelligence officer and has served during conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, and Bosnia. The U.S. Navy named Kirk “Intelligence Officer of the Year” in 1999 for his combat service in Kosovo.
Representing the largest Armenian American constituency in Illinois, Kirk has been a strong advocate on behalf of core community concerns. He is a lead sponsor of H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and serves on the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations, where he worked with his colleagues to adopt language strengthening Section 907 restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.
In appreciation of his ongoing support, Kirk was recently presented with the “Spirit of Armenia” award by His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan at the 2009 National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
Guest Contributor
Latest posts by Guest Contributor (see all)
- Nora Armani to perform Mercedes and Zaruhi in Boston - April 24, 2024
- Message on the occasion of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide - April 23, 2024
- St. Gregory Church in Indian Orchard celebrates 90th anniversary - April 23, 2024
Shnorhakalutyun ANCA in ir hayrenanver gortseri hamar:
Lav kliner vor unenayiq havaqakan mtqi xumb:
Es im MITQ lragir# ev “AREVI ERG#” girq# kugarkem ete haytneq posti hascen:
Aranc havaqakan mtqi u srti xosqi azg chka:
Uraxutyun Dzez, hajogutyun amen gortsum:
There will be no freedom for the people unless physicians are free to treat patients according to
their ability and competence. There will be no freedom for physicians unless the people are free.
Obama is a Marxist and racist.