Rep. Curt Weldon honored at Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center

by Andrea Porytko-Zharovsky

JENKINTOWN, Pa. - U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), a long-time advocate of Ukraine and a friend of the Ukrainian American community, was honored at a reception on Saturday, October 7, here in the main hall of the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center.

Representing the 7th Congressional District in Pennsylvania and currently serving his 10th term, Congressman Weldon has been a leader on committees ranging from national security to the environment, in addition to serving as co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, vice-chair of the House Armed Services Committee, and vice-chair of the House Homeland Security Committee.

As co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, Rep. Weldon is the voice of Ukraine in Congress and has personally worked on improving relations between the United States and Ukraine, successfully restoring the presence of pro-democracy organizations in Ukraine such as the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, developing a working relationship between the members of the U.S. Congress and the Verkhovna Rada in the Rada Exchange Program, and recognizing the 1932-1933 Genocide in Ukraine. Rep. Weldon was recently instrumental in the passage of legislation to graduate Ukraine from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment.

A candidate in the U.S. general election on November 7, Rep. Weldon spoke at the reception enthusiastically about the issues that have united him with the Ukrainian diaspora and how he got involved with the Ukrainian American community. He voiced his regrets that he did not spend enough time on Ukraine's development in the early 1990s and mid 1990s, and stated that the American response to the Orange Revolution was not quick enough. "Unfortunately, we did not take those steps. We did not act quickly enough on Jackson-Vanik. We should have given Yushchenko Jackson-Vanik on his first visit to America," he said.

Rep. Weldon said he believes that the Ukrainian diaspora is a critical component in allowing Ukraine to unleash its potential and its power, and pledged when re-elected that he will continue to work and push issues dear to the Ukrainian diaspora.

"The Ukrainian-American relationship is one of the most important strategic relationships in the world. We must stay the course, as Ukraine changes its leaders, we must not waiver from our support to the Ukrainian people. There is no nation with the potential in the world that Ukraine has - the breadbasket of the world," he said.

Friends of Congressman Curt Weldon, with the participation of the Heritage Action Council, formed to involve Ukrainian Americans in the American political process, raised over $10,000, in a two-week period, from sponsors in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. This was a true bipartisan effort with recent U.S. citizens originally from Ukraine actively participating, in support of a friend to Ukraine and a friend to the Ukrainian American community, who has a record of introducing legislation and policy beneficial to Ukrainian Americans and Ukraine.

The evening concluded with a musical interlude by Kalynonka, a bandura duet of Halyna Bodnar and Lada Pastushak.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 22, 2006, No. 43, Vol. LXXIV

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