SUPPORT GROWS FOR CONGRESSIONAL LETTER CALLING ON PRES. BUSH TO
PROPERLY COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

WASHINGTON, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Bipartisan efforts to urge
President Bush to keep his 2000 campaign pledge to properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” continued to grow
last week, with over 90 U.S. Representatives having cosigned a
Congressional letter to the White House, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA). Initiated by Congressional
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), the letter calls on President Bush to join House members “in
reaffirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide” in his
annual April 24th commemorative statement. “By properly recognizing
the terrible atrocities committed against the Armenian people as
‘genocide’ in your statement, you will honor the many Americans who
helped launch the unprecedented U.S. diplomatic, political and
humanitarian campaign to end the carnage and protect the survivors.”
Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Knollenberg as
co-signers of the letter, as of Friday, March 25th, include: Neil
Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert
Andrews (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Bass (R-NH), Melissa
Bean (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Earl
Blumenauer (D-OR), Mary Bono (R-CA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Ken Calvert
(R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Benjamin Cardin
(D-MD), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA),
Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Susan Davis (D-CA),
William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), David Dreier (R-CA),
Eliot Engel (D-NY), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Barney Frank
(D-MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul
Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Steny Hoyer
(D-MD), Steve Israel (D-NY), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Marcy
Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson
(D-CT), Sander Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY),
Edward Markey (D-MA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Thaddeus McCotter
(R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty
(D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Candice Miller
(R-MI), George Miller (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes
Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Collin
Peterson (D-MN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ),
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA), Linda Sanchez
(D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), H. James Saxton (R-NJ), Adam Schiff
(D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL), Christopher Shays
(R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Christopher Smith
(R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), John Sweeney (R-NY), Edolphus Towns (D-
NY), Mark Udall (D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky
(D-IN), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman
(D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Lynn Woolsey
(D-CA). Over the past weeks, in statements on the House floor, a
number of House Members have already spoken out about the importance
clear and unambiguous U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide,
including Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone and Reps. Michael
Bilirakis, Barney Frank, Patrick Kennedy, James Langevin, and George
Radanovich.