Ecumenical Patriarch's visit to DC creates legislation

(ARCHONS) - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visit to Washington generates legislation

Washington, D.C.
11/23/2009

Some of the most influential United States Senators introduced legislation calling on Turkey to reopen the Ecumenical Patriarch's theological school of Halki, "without condition or further delay" and to "address other longstanding concerns relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate."

"The Executive and Legislative branches of Washington are still reverberating from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's extraordinary impact. We anticipate additional proactive steps to be taken by top U.S. policy makers in the weeks ahead," said Andrew Manatos, Chairman of the 2009 Visit of the Ecumenical Patriarch to Washington, DC and President of CEH.

While in Washington during the first week of November, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew held in-depth discussions with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), as well as numerous other key Senators, Members of Congress and Administration officials.

• The key U.S. Senators who introduced this legislation, S. Res. 356 included:
• The Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD);
• The Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV);
• The Chair of the Senate Foreign Relation Committee's European Affairs Subcommittee, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH);
• Former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member and highly-regarded leader on Hellenic and Orthodox issues, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME);
• The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's International Development and Foreign Assistance Subcommittee and member of the Senate Leadership, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ); and
• A leader in the U.S. Senate for religious freedom and member of the influential Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS).

The full text of this legislation is here.