Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor World Refugee Day, a day that is very special to the famous city of Utica, New York, in the heart of the 22nd Congressional District, a place that I have represented and lived my entire life. Utica was recognized recently as the home to refugees, and I am so honored to be a part of this great tradition in Utica. In quite an unusual portion of my background, I had the opportunity to spend time in the former Yugoslavia. I also was the sole employee at the former Yugoslav Consulate before the tragic war in Yugoslavia, which broke the country up in the early nineties. As a part of my commitment to and interest in the people from Yugoslavia, I was instrumental in helping bring a huge number of Bosnian refugees to Utica, New York, back in the early nineties and into the late nineties. And I am so pleased that I was able to have the opportunity, with my family business, to create the very first Bosnian newspaper in Utica, known as Mostovi, which means bridges in Bosnian. Today, the Bosnian refugees make up one of the largest, if not the largest, Bosnian refugee communities in the Nation. They have done a wonderful job in Utica in successfully starting businesses and contributing greatly to our community, along with many other refugees.…”