Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
July 15, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
U.S. HOUSE ADOPTS SCHIFF AMENDMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
— Amendment to Foreign Operations Bill Prohibits Turkey from
using U.S. Foreign Aid to Lobby Against the Genocide Resolution
— Rep. Knollenberg’s Leadership Key to Maintaining Military
Aid Parity for Armenia and Azerbaijan, Securing $65 Million
for Armenia and $5 Milliion for Nagorno Karabagh
WASHINGTON, DC – In a powerful rebuke to the Turkish government’s
campaign of genocide denial, the House of Representatives this
evening adopted the Schiff Amendment, prohibiting the Turkish
government from using U.S. foreign assistance in its multi-million
dollar campaign to defeat legislation (H.Res.193) recognizing the
Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), was passed by
a voice vote and added to the fiscal year 2005 foreign aid bill
(H.R.4818). The foreign aid bill was later passed by a vote of 365
to 41.
In his remarks on the House floor introducing the measure, Rep.
Schiff told his colleagues that, “today I offer a simple amendment
that will honor the one and a half million Armenians who perished
in the Armenian Genocide of the 1915 and 1923. I consider this a
sacred obligation to ensure that the men, women, and children who
perished in the Armenian Genocide are not lost to history and that
this Congress not fund shameful efforts to deny that the Genocide
occurred.” Commenting after the vote, Rep. Schiff said, “We are
another step closer to silencing those who would deny the murder of
1.5 million Armenians,” adding that, “This amendment stands true to
the memory of the victims.”
“The passage of this amendment is a major victory,” said Armenian
Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. “It clearly sends a message
that the United States House of Representatives will not tolerate
Turkey’s lobbying against the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.” In his remarks during consideration of the measure, the
New Jersey legislator stressed that “it is time for this body to
stop defending and funding a government that continues to deny its
own history, and refuses to break with the pattern of intolerance
established by past Turkish governments which dealt with minority
issues by committing genocide against Armenians, massacring and
driving Greeks from its shores, restricting the rights of
Christians to worship, and denying the existence of its Kurdish
citizens.”
“We want, first and foremost, to thank Congressman Schiff for his
tireless leadership in advancing this amendment, to recognize the
strong support of Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone and Joe
Knollenberg, and to note the pivotal role that Chairman Kolbe
played in helping this measure reach the House floor – where, as we
all saw this evening, it enjoyed overwhelming bi-partisan support,”
said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
The Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, reaffirms U.S. support for the
Genocide Convention and cites the importance of remembering past
crimes against humanity, including the Armenian Genocide,
Holocaust, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop
future atrocities. It faces intense opposition from the Turkish
government, which has enlisted the backing of the White House in
its efforts to block this measure from being scheduled for a vote
of the full House.
The Genocide Resolution was introduced, in the House, in April,
2003, by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-
CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-
NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). Its Senate companion measure was
introduced, in June, 2003, by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon
Corzine (D-NJ). H.Res.193 was adopted unanimously by the House
Judiciary Committee last May. Support for the measure has been
widespread off of Capitol Hill as well, with a diverse coalition of
over 100 ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations
calling for its passage, including American Values, National
Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP, Union of Orthodox
Rabbis, and the National Council of La Raza.
—————————————————-
Rep. Knollenberg Leads Effort on Foreign Aid Issues:
—————————————— ———-
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, who
serves as a senior member of the House panel dealing with foreign
aid issues, rallied the support of his colleagues behind key pro-
Armenian provisions in the Foreign Operations bill. Foremost among
these was the successful effort to maintain parity in U.S. military
aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. This February, the Administration’s
budget proposed breaking the parity agreement, struck in 2001
between the White House and the Congress, by allocating $8 million
in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Azerbaijan and only $2
million for Armenia. The foreign aid bill, adopted today by the
U.S. House, sets FMF levels for both nations at $5 million.
“We value the leadership and hard work by Congressman Knollenberg
in maintaining the principle of military aid parity in the face of
White House and Pentagon pressure to break an agreement that has,
for the past three years, contributed meaningfully to regional
stability in the Caucasus,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian.
The House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which is chaired by
Arizona Republican Jim Kolbe, supported a hard earmark of $65
million in U.S. assistance to Armenia, and $5 million for Nagorno
Karabagh. The Bush Administration’s proposal had requested $62
million for Armenia and had not set any specific funding level for
Nagorno Karabagh. The Subcommittee’s decision, made against the
backdrop of decreasing aid levels to the former Soviet republics,
would effectively reduce U.S. assistance to Armenia by $10 million
from FY 2004 levels.
The full text of the Schiff Amendment is provided below:
Amendment to H.R. 4818, as reported offered by Mr. Schiff of
California
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES
SEC. 576 None of the funds made available in this Act may be used
by the Government of Turkey to engage in contravention of section
1913 of title 18, United States Code, relating to lobbying with
appropriated moneys, with respect to H. Res. 193, Reaffirming
support of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide and anticipating the 15th anniversary of the
enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987
(the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003