Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA CAPITOL HILL LOBBY DAYS HIGHLIGHT NATIONWIDE GRASSROOTS
ACTIVISM ON GENOCIDE RECOGNITION; SUPPORT FOR ARMENIA, NAGORNO
KARABAGH
— Armenian Americans Participate in over 90 Meetings
and Visits, Culminating in ANCA Capitol Hill
Observance of the Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – A record number of activists from across the U.S.
traveled to Washington, DC this April for a series of advocacy
meetings on Capitol Hill, coinciding with the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) 10th annual Armenian Genocide
Observance.
Over 90 meetings were held with Members of Congress from
California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia.
“We were gratified by the growing number of participants who
traveled to Washington, DC for this, our 10th annual Capitol Hill
Genocide Observance,” explained ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. “Each year, we have seen increased enthusiasm,
sophistication, and confidence among our activists in their
advocacy for the Armenian Cause.”
Among the numerous issues discussed with Representatives, Senators,
and their staff were the Congressional Genocide Resolutions
(H.Res.193 and S.Res.164), U.S. assistance to Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh, US-Armenia economic relations–namely the Permanent
Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) legislation currently pending in the
US Senate, maintaining equal levels of military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s cooperation in the war on terrorism.
Members of Congress were also presented with folders that had
detailed information on the issues being discussed.
This year, joining the ANC activists in the Congressional meetings
were Colgate University Professor Peter Balakian and the Honorable
Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, lead sponsor of the recently adopted
Armenian Genocide motion in the Canadian House of Commons.
During several meetings, Ms. Dalphond-Guiral took the time to brief
Congressional Members on the passage of the Canadian resolution and
encouraged them to take similar steps to reaffirm the United States
record on the Armenian Genocide. Professor Balakian–author of the
New York Times best seller “The Burning Tigris: The Armenian
Genocide and America’s Response”–detailed to Members the
exhaustive record of the US reaction to the Armenian Genocide and
pointed out the tremendous amount of US archives available on the
Armenian Genocide.
Both Balakian and Dalphond-Guiral were honored by the ANCA during
the Capitol Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide.
Activists met with and visited the following Senate offices:
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX), Bob Graham (D-FL), Judd
Gregg (R-NH), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Edward Kennedy (D-MA),
John Kerry (D-MA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Bill Nelson (D-FL),
Jack Reed (D-RI), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), John
Sununu (R-RI), and Jim Talent (R-MO).
ANC representatives also met with the following House offices:
Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Representatives
Joe Baca (D-CA), Charles Bass (R-NH), Bob Beauprez (R-CO), Xavier
Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jeb
Bradley (R-NH), Robert Brady (D-PA), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Dennis
Cardoza (D-CA), Michael Castle (D-DE), Philip Crane (R-IL), John
Culberson (R-TX), Susan Davis (D-CA), John Doolittle (R-CA), Mike
Doyle (D-PA), Philip English (R-PA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Sam Farr
(D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Michael Ferguson (R-NJ), Rodney
Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Bob Filner (D-CA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Sam
Graves (R-MO), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Jim Greenwood (R-PA), Melissa
Hart (R-PA), Wally Herger (R-CA), Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA), Tim Holden
(D-PA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Paul Kanjorski (D-
PA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-NH), James Langevin (D-
RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), William
Lipinski (D-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Edward
Markey (D-MA), Robert Matsui (D-CA), Scott McInnis (R-CO), Howard
McKeon (R-CA), Marty Meehan (D-MA), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-
CA), George Miller (D-CA), Timothy Murphy (R-PA), John Murtha (D-
PA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Doug Ose (R-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-
NJ), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), John Peterson (R-
PA), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Todd Platts (R-PA), Richard Pombo (R-CA),
Jon Porter (R-NV), Ed Royce (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), E. Clay
Shaw, Jr. (R-FL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Don Sherwood (R-PA), Bill
Shuster (R-PA), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA),
Thomas Tancredo (R-CO), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-
CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Diane Watson (D-CA),
Henry Waxman (D-CA), Curt Weldon (R-PA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
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