CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E242 HON
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E242 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 26, 2016 that survived the carnage fled their homes and TRIBUTE TO AL MANN Prior to becoming vice chancellor, Ray businesses, leaving behind everything they served the college system as executive direc- had in their desperation. HON. DANA ROHRABACHER tor of the Center for Business and Economic Development and the director of the Small The pogroms were not an accident. They OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Business Development Center. If you ever were the culmination of years of vicious anti- wondered why Ray sets such sky-high goals Armenian propaganda, spread by the Azer- Friday, February 26, 2016 and achieves them, just remember he was baijani authorities. The Azerbaijani authorities Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, America once chief administrative officer for an inter- made little effort to punish those responsible, lost one of her greatest sons this week. Al national helicopter manufacturer. instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Mann, physicist, entrepreneur, executive, and Ray’s community and civic commitments Sumgait to this day, as well as denying the philanthropist, spent his more than nine dec- don’t stop with his work at Lone Star. He role of senior government officials in insti- ades on this earth working mostly to help oth- shared his invaluable experience by serving gating the violence. Unsurprisingly, it was not ers. on numerous national, state and local boards, the end of the violence, and was followed by At age seventeen, when America was em- and various committees focused on economic additional attacks, including the 1990 pogrom broiled in the Second World War, Al Mann vol- development and educational needs. in Baku. unteered for the Army Air Corps, later becom- Development Councils, Partnerships, Cham- ing a pioneer in guidance systems for missiles The Sumgait massacre and the subsequent bers, and boards in The Woodlands and and solar power for satellites. His techno- across the state and the south rely on Ray to attacks on ethnic Armenians, resulted in the logical advances helped us win that war, sav- bring together education and economic devel- virtual disappearance of a once thriving popu- ing countless lives throughout. opment projects in innovative and thoughtful lation of 450,000 Armenians living in Azer- Afterward, he resisted pleas to continue his ways. baijan, and culminating in the war launched extraordinary work in military hardware, fol- As a military officer’s son who settled in against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. That lowing his heart and turning his mind toward Texas, Ray graduated from the University of war resulted in thousands dead on both sides the health of humanity. Al’s ingenuity, insight, Houston, where he also earned his MBA. Ever and created over one million refugees in both and resourcefulness focused on projects to re- since then, his days and many nights have Armenia and Azerbaijan. store sight to the blind, to bring hearing to the been filled helping our community learn, grow Time has not healed the wounds of those deaf, and return mobility to the disabled. and prosper. He did all this while developing a system to murdered in the pogroms in Sumgait, While his wife and kids are hoping to see deliver insulin to diabetics without needles and Kirovabad, and Baku. To the contrary, hatred more of him now, Ray has already committed creating pacemakers that those afflicted with of Armenians is celebrated in Azerbaijan, a sit- to serving as chairman of the Houston North- heart disease would not need to replace fre- west Chamber of Commerce board next year. uation most vividly exemplified by the case of quently, thus sparing them great expense and Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army captain My friend Ray is a servant leader who has set disruption of their lives. a high example for others to follow. who savagely murdered an Armenian army It has been my honor and privilege to know Many thousands of students and families lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan with an axe Al Mann for many years. As he benefited hu- have lifetimes of opportunities ahead because while he slept. The two were participating in a mankind he in turn benefited from a patent of Ray’s hard work. I can’t imagine the Lone NATO Partnership for Peace exercise at the system that has been the envy of the world; Star College System without him, but then I time in Hungary. In 2012, Safarov was sent indeed, he warned against politicians who know that he is always just a phone call or home to Azerbaijan, purportedly to serve out would tamper with it to advantage powerful email away whenever our community needs the remainder of his sentence. Instead, he business interests against individual him. was pardoned, promoted, and paraded innovators like him. Thank you Ray Laughter, for showing us all through the streets of Baku as a returning Clearly, he wanted other Americans to suc- that the sky is the limit for a true leader. hero. ceed by their good works just as he had done. Because he was one of the most inspira- f The assault on ethnic Armenian civilians in tional men I have ever known, I made a point Sumgait helped touch off what would become of introducing my children to him so that they, SUPPORT FOR H. RES. 551 a direct conflict between Armenia and Azer- too, might live by his example. baijan over Nagorno Karabakh. And today, If our country is to know more inspiring indi- HON. TED POE Azerbaijan’s dangerous behavior on the Line viduals like Al Mann, it is imperative that we of Contact threatens peace and stability in the reclaim and protect the conditions that made OF TEXAS region. Artillery and sniper fire across the Line his exemplary creativity possible. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of Contact has become a fact of daily life for f Friday, February 26, 2016 civilians in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, IN HONOR OF RAY LAUGHTER Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Israel is causing numerous casualties. I have urged the the United States’ most important ally in the OSCE Minsk Group to deescalate the situation HON. KEVIN BRADY Middle East. But the President made a bad by ending a policy that equates unprovoked nuclear deal with Iran that brought a whole OF TEXAS attacks by the Azerbaijan with the defensive host of new security threats to Israel. H. Res. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES responses of Karabakh and Armenian troops, 551 is about bringing the importance of the and by pressuring Azerbaijan to accept the in- Friday, February 26, 2016 U.S.-Israel relationship back into focus. stallation of technological monitoring devices Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as my While security is the cornerstone of our rela- along the border. The anniversary of Sumgait friend, Ray Laughter, prepares to retire as tionship, many do not realize that we have is a reminder of the consequences when ag- Vice Chancellor of External Affairs for the very strong economic ties to Israel. Bilateral gression and hatred is allowed to grow un- Lone Star College system, he is leaving big trade and investment has strengthened our checked. shoes for his successor to fill. How do you re- partnership in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Mr. Speaker, this April we will mark the place a driving force for education and eco- I look forward to exploring new agreements 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, nomic development in our district such as Ray? with Israel in energy, medicine, technology, an event the Turkish government, Azerbaijan’s Since 2002, Ray has led the Lone Star Col- and security. Fostering deeper economic dia- closest ally, goes to great lengths to deny. We lege Foundation, the Community Leadership logue will more firmly cement the bond be- must not let such crimes against humanity go Institute, the Small Business Development tween the U.S. and Israel. unrecognized, whether they occurred yester- Center, as well as the college’s public informa- I support H. Res. 551 because it recognizes day or 28 years ago or 100 years ago. Today, tion and publications, governmental relations, the importance of a strong U.S.-Israel alliance. let us pause to remember the victims of the and regional economic development depart- Together with our Israeli allies we can initiate atrocities of the Sumgait pogroms. Mr. Speak- ments. He was also the driving force in the new areas of cooperation. It’s time this Admin- er, it is our moral obligation to condemn passage of bond issues that ensures the col- istration shows Israel how much the U.S. val- crimes of hatred and to remember the victims, lege system is meeting the needs of our grow- ues our partnership. in hope that history will not be repeated. ing region. And that’s just the way it is. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Feb 27, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26FE8.043 E26FEPT1 SSpencer on DSK9F6TC42PROD with REMARKS February 26, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E243 BLACK HISTORY MONTH LaBrake, ‘‘She was an active participant in our Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I general membership meetings as recently as recognize Michael Sanborn for receiving the HON. JOYCE BEATTY this month. All Sycuan is today, is from the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce’s ‘‘Citizen hard work of her and her contemporaries.’’ OF OHIO of the Year’’ award. I ask all of my distin- Evelyn was a firm believer in hard work and guished colleagues to join me in recognizing IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES did so all her life, as a Secretary and Council- his contributions to the Metrocrest community.