WASHINGTON:
The Pakistani American Leadership Center (PAL-C)
welcomes Congressman Michael Bilirakis, a Republican
from Florida, to the Congressional Pakistan Caucus.
Congressman Bilirakis was first elected to Congress
on November 2, 1982, and has been reelected to each
succeeding Congress. His committee assignments in
the 109th Congress include membership
on the Energy
and Commerce Committee,
where he serves as Vice-Chairman of the full Committee
and a member of the Health, Telecommunications
and the Internet,
and Energy
and Air Quality Subcommittees. Congressman
Bilirakis is also the Vice-Chairman of the Veterans'
Affairs Committee and
Chairman of the Oversight
Subcommittee.
“Congressman Bilirakis’s
leadership role on health reform and his strong advocacy
for medical research make him an important member for
one of the top five issues that concern the Pakistani
American community” said Aisha Chapra, Executive
Director of PAL-C, a Washington-based group working
with the Congressional Pakistan Caucus.
Mariam Issa,
a director of PAL-C, said “that increasing
membership on the Congressional Pakistan
Caucus is entirely a community effort that
each Pakistani living in the U.S. should
give utmost importance too”.
PAL-C director,
Pervaiz Lodhie, added that “even
the smallest contribution of time will
help create a grassroots movement while
PAL-C will do its best to maintain the
movement’s momentum.”
Congressional
Pakistan Caucus was launched last year
in September by Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf at a ceremony on Capitol Hill.
Congresswoman
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Congressman
Dan Burton (R-IN) are two co-chairs of
the Caucus.
"The
establishment of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus,
which is an official entity of the United States Congress,
is an historic event," Congresswoman Lee said.
Lee also termed the Caucus as the fastest growing Caucus
on the Hill.
PAL-C
is dedicated to educating American public on issues
related to Pakistan and Pakistani Americans.
