E846 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 7, 2008

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

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