[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1940-E1941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      A TRIBUTE TO RAFFI HAMPARIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2001

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
American, a great public servant, a great expert on foreign affairs, a 
great staff member, a great campaign worker, a great brother, son and 
husband, a great friend, and soon to be a great father.
  Mr. Speaker, at the end of this week a man who fits all those 
desciptions, Mr. Raffi Hamparian, will be departing my office and 
moving to the west coast to settle down with his wife and the new child 
they are expecting in January.
  He has served for the past five years as my senior legislative 
assistant and handled all my International Relations Committee and 
Foreign Operations Subcommittee work. He has been a strong and steady 
voice in the halls of this Congress for the oppressed minorities of the 
world and for exporting the best of America to all those peoples hungry 
for freedom.
  Myself and the rest of my staff will not only miss his great 
expertise at a time when we greatly need such insight into foreign 
affairs, but we will also miss his friendship. We have all come to rely 
on seeing his smiling face and hearing his reassuring voice each 
morning we walk into the office.

[[Page E1941]]

  Mr. Speaker, this Congress and my office in particular are about to 
lose a tremendous resource, but I know Mr. Hamparian will stay involved 
in the public arena and will continue to offer his services to the 
people of America, wherever he may live or work.
  I want to take this moment to thank him for all he has done for me 
and all he has done for this Congress and to wish him and his family 
the blessings of God and every joy known to this world.

                          ____________________