BILL REQ. #:  H-2461.1 

Read first time 02/27/2007.   Referred to Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE HONORABLE GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND TO CONDOLEEZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The Republic of the Philippines had a consulate in Seattle, Washington, to serve the large Filipino-American community in the Pacific Northwest; and
     WHEREAS, Washington is a significant trading partner with the Phillippines, being the 12th largest trading partner with the Philippines by dollar volume; and
     WHEREAS, There are more than 65,000 Filipino-Americans in Washington state with strong family and commercial ties to the Philippines; and
     WHEREAS, Reestablishing a consulate here will strengthen cultural and tourism ties to the Philippines; and
     WHEREAS, Those seeking visas and trade documents now face the inconvenience of traveling to San Francisco to obtain consular assistance;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo support Resolution 1452 introduced by Congressman Rodolfo Valencia and Congressman Antonio Cuenco, calling for the establishment of a consulate in the Western United States; and, that should such a consulate be established, the location would be in Seattle, Washington.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Honorable Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.