8084 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 154, Pt. 6 May 7, 2008 COMMEMORATING PRESIDENT secure borders. A strong friend of the United has been dedicated to empowering and HEYDAR ALIYEV States, President Heydar Aliyev offered sup- bettering the lives of working men and women. port for the fight against terrorism immediately For the last 22 years, Dean Tipps has been HON. after 9/11. Today Azerbaijani troops are in Iraq executive director of the State OF TEXAS and Afghanistan with the coalition. Council of the Service Employees International IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Azerbaijan has excellent relations with Israel Union. In this capacity, he has directed the and a 2,000 year old Jewish community with council’s statewide legislative and political ac- Wednesday, May 7, 2008 representation in Parliament. As a secular tivities on behalf of the 650,000 California Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. country with a predominantly Shiia population, members of the Service Employees Inter- Madam Speaker, on May 10, we commemo- the participation of its troops in Iraq and Af- national Union. As the director of the largest rate the 85th Jubilee of the late President ghanistan sends the right message regarding union in California, Dean Tipps’ impact has Heydar Aliyev. President Aliyev’s significant international cooperation. reached beyond SEIU membership as the contributions to the country of Azerbaijan pro- Because of the late President Aliyev’s ef- growth, innovation, and persistent advocacy of vided a fertile ground for the seeds of democ- forts, today Azerbaijan is a developing democ- the SEIU has served as an example to other racy to flourish after Soviet rule and have racy with a growing and vibrant economy. unions in a variety of industries. paved the road for Azerbaijan’s regional and There are no longer any doubts regarding the Mr. Tipps’ vision, leadership, and strategic international success. viability of this Republic. The future of U.S.- thinking have had a substantial impact on Azerbaijan is the gateway to Central Asia. It Azerbaijani relations is bright, as our two California’s people and politics over the last is on the modern Silk Road which transports countries share values and interests in the re- few decades. Dean’s ability to build coalitions goods and services from China through Cen- gion. and bring together the necessary resources tral Asian countries, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. f has meant that working people have had a Remarkably, with only 19 years of independ- powerful voice in electoral and legislative are- ence, Azerbaijan has become a key player in IN RECOGNITION OF THE 175TH AN- nas. Dean Tipps has been a leader in many this region. After brief independence from NIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING of the labor movement’s victories in California, 1918–1920, Azerbaijan fell under Russian OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH including the defeat of State Proposition 226, domination for 70 years. When Soviet troops OF SYLACAUGA the election of Gray Davis, and labor’s special invaded Baku on January 20, 1990, many election victories in 2005. died, including innocent civilians, thereby giv- HON. MIKE ROGERS He began his political work in 1976 as the ing birth to the independence movement in the OF ALABAMA first legislative advocate for the California Tax country. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Reform Association and was deeply involved After the collapse of the Soviet Union in in the ’s property tax re- Wednesday, May 7, 2008 1991 and the emergence of a democratic volt. In 1979, he moved to Washington, D.C., Azerbaijan Republic, the first few years were Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, to become the founding executive director of not easy. While Azerbaijan became the first I respectfully ask the attention of the House Citizens for Tax Justice. At CTJ, Mr. Tipps de- former Soviet Republic outside the Baltic today to pay recognition to the members of veloped the successful campaign strategy that States with no foreign troops on its soil, it was First Baptist Church of Sylacauga, Alabama, defeated Howard Jarvis’ Proposition 9 in 1980 a small country with powerful neighbors. Mind- who on May 25 will celebrate their congrega- and was involved in initiative campaigns in ful of its geography, Azerbaijan developed tion’s 175th anniversary. Massachusetts, Ohio, and other States. He close ties with the United States, Western Eu- On May 25, 1833, George Hill sought the subsequently went to work for the Service Em- rope, Turkey, and Israel. approval of the Tallasahattchie Church to es- ployees International Union where he became In 1993, Heydar Aliyev became President of tablish a new branch in what would become the Public Sector Division Director. In 1986, the Republic, first by appointment under the Sylacauga, Alabama. The small wooden cabin he returned to California to assume direction constitution, then through direct election. A that first served as a meeting place for the of SEIU’s California State Council and has cease-fire in the war with Armenia over the church’s eight charter members became an continuously led the council except for taking Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was independent church in 1835 with 33 members. leave in 1988 to navigate the Assembly negotiated and implemented in 1994. During Since that time, the church has grown Democratic Campaign Committee. this time, the country’s economy was wrecked steadily becoming one of the many fixtures of In his many capacities and positions with by war and burdened by the effects of com- the Sylacauga community. The celebration on various groups, Dean Tipps has remained munism. Parliament began enacting laws to May 25 will help pay tribute to the work of constant in his dedication to helping our coun- make the country friendlier to foreign invest- First Baptist Church on behalf of its members try fulfill its responsibility to the men and ment and a member of the international mar- and community. women who labor in service jobs that make ket economy. I am pleased to recognize the First Baptist our lives more comfortable. He leaves grateful In 1994, the ‘‘Contract of the Century’’ was Church of Sylacauga today for reaching this colleagues and a grateful membership. We signed between American and western com- important milestone in the history of their con- are proud to add our thanks for his many panies and Azerbaijan. The Contract was de- gregation, and wish its members all the best years of advocacy and our congratulations for signed to allow Azerbaijan to develop its en- in its next 175 years of faith and witnessing in all his achievements. ergy resources in order to diversify western the community. f energy supplies. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan f pipeline (supported by both the Clinton and THE DAILY 45: PROMISING LOYOLA Bush Administrations) is now fully operational, HONORING DEAN TIPPS STUDENT SHOT TO DEATH and helps to bolster the political and commer- cial independence of the countries in the re- HON. ZOE LOFGREN HON. BOBBY L. RUSH gion, while diversifying Europe’s energy sup- OF CALIFORNIA OF ILLINOIS plies. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES President Aliyev was clear regarding Azer- baijan’s western orientation. Azerbaijan joined Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Wednesday, May 7, 2008 NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program in Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Madam Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, everyday, 45 1994, and has consistently integrated into the Speaker, today I rise along with my fellow people, on average, are fatally shot in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture; further Members of Congress , SAM United States. The recent news of the death deepening U.S.-Azerbaijani military to military FARR, , , DORIS MAT- of an aspiring journalism student at Loyola cooperation. SUI, JIM MCNERNEY, GEORGE MILLER, JACKIE University who was killed, May 4, when some- Azerbaijan works with the U.S., both bilat- SPEIER, , , MIKE one fired shots into her car on Chicago’s erally and multilaterally, through the GUAM THOMPSON, and to congratu- South Side is tragic and sad. Twenty-year-old framework (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and late Dean Tipps on his retirement and to Ishma Stewart, a 2005 graduate of Oak Park- Moldova) to prevent illegal trafficking and to honor a man whose career of over 40 years River Forest High School, was an intelligent

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