RUSS CARNAHAN: “Thank you, Connie, and thank you for your leadership of the association. I also want to thank the staff of the Former…”

“Thank you, Connie, and thank you for your leadership of the association. I also want to thank the staff of the Former Members that really back up and make these programs work for all those who participate. Just on a personal note, I want to recognize and acknowledge the passing of our friend and former Member, Ike Skelton of Missouri this past year. It is really a great pleasure to work on, to report on the four Congressional Study Groups for Germany, Japan, Turkey, and Europe, the flagship international programs for the Former Members of Congress over three decades. The Study Groups are independent, bipartisan legislative exchanges for current Members and their senior staff and serve as educational forums and invaluable tools for international dialogue with the goal of creating better understanding. We have great leadership from both Houses that are bipartisan. The Study Group model focuses on high-level dialogue on pressing issues surrounding security, energy, trade issues that affect our key bilateral and multilateral relationships with our partners abroad. Highlights from the past year include our inaugural Member delegation to Japan in February, and also here in Washington hosting the Study Groups. They welcomed several groups of legislators and executive branch members throughout the year from Germany, Japan, Turkey, and the EU Parliament.…”