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]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
178 U.S. REPRESENTATIVES URGE PRESIDENT TO
PROPERLY CHARACTERIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
— Record Level of Support for Congressional
Letter Sends Strong Message to White House
WASHINGTON, DC A record number of U.S. Representatives sent a
Congressional letter to President Bush today, urging him to
reaffirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide by properly
characterizing the atrocities as “genocide.” The letter comes
days after a similar Senate initiative, which garnered the support
of an unprecedented 32 Senators, a 45% increase over the previous
year.
The April 20th letter, spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
stresses that “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.”
“We were very gratified by the announcement this evening by the Co-
Chairman of the Armenian Caucus that a record total of one hundred
and seventy-eight U.S. Representatives have joined together in
calling on the President to properly recognize the Armenian
Genocide in his April 24th remarks,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA, following a special 90th anniversary Armenian
Genocide observance on Capitol Hill. “Along with the thirty-two
Senators who sent a similar letter earlier this week to the White
House, this brings to two hundred and ten the total number of U.S.
legislators formally calling for the President to speak with
historical accuracy and moral clarity about this crime against
humanity. We welcome this unprecedented level of Congressional
leadership and urge the President to heed their call and honor the
pledge he made in February of 2000 to properly recognize the
Armenian Genocide.”
Representatives Pallone and Knollenberg, in a March 3rd letter to
their House colleagues, encouraged them to lend their voice to the
effort noting, that “by properly affirming the Armenian Genocide,
we can help ensure the legacy of the Genocide is remembered so this
human tragedy will not be repeated.” Over the past several weeks,
Armenian Americans from across the U.S. have been sending ANCA
WebFaxes to their Representatives urging them to co-sign the letter
to the President. On April 7th, Representative Knollenberg joined
with Republican House Members George Radanovich (R-CA), Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), Mark Souder (R-IN) and Mark Foley (R-FL) in
urging their party colleagues to encourage Pres. Bush to follow
Senator Dole’s lead and “simply tell the truth.”
Members of Congress joining Reps. Pallone and Knollenberg in co-
signing the letter included:
Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME),
Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joe Baca (D-CA), Brian Baird (D-WA), Tammy
Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Bass (R-NH), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Bob
Beauprez (R-CO), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV),
Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-
GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY), Mary Bono (R-CA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
Ken Calvert (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA),
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-
MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL),
Christopher Cox (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Duke Cunningham (R-
CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Susan Davis (D-CA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR),
William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Lincoln Diaz-Balart
(R-FL), John Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Doolittle
(R-CA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), David Dreier (R-CA), Vernon Ehlers (R-
MI), Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA),
Lane Evans (D-IL), Sam Farr (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Tom Feeney
(R-FL), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mike Fitzpatrick
(R-PA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Barney Frank (D-
MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Jim Gerlach
(R-PA), Mark Green (R-WI), Gene Green (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ),
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Tim Holden (D-PA),
Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve
Israel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Sheila
Jackson Lee (D-TX), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-
OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI),
Dale Kildee (D-MI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL),
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson (D-CT),
Steven LaTourette (R-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI),
John Lewis (D-GA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Stephen
Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jim
Matheson (D-UT), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY),
Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-
WA), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Mike McIntyre (D-
NC), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-
MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Michaud (D-ME), George Miller
(D-CA), Candice Miller (R-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), James Moran (D-
VA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal
(D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John
Olver (D-MA), C. L. “Butch” Otter (R-ID), William Pascrell (D-NJ),
Donald Payne (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Collin Peterson (D-MN),
Richard Pombo (R-CA), Jon Porter (R-NV), George Radanovich (R-CA),
Charles Rangel (D-NY), Mike Rogers (R-MI), Mike Ross (D-AR), Steven
Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA),
Bobby Rush (D-IL), Paul Ryan (R-WI), John Salazar (D-CO), Loretta
Sanchez (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), H.
James Saxton (R-NJ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA),
Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL),
Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL),
Rob Simmons (R-CT), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Hilda Solis (D-CA),
Mark Souder (R-IN), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Sweeney (R-NY), Ellen
Tauscher (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA),
Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Mark Udall (D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen
(D-MD), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), James Walsh
(R-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-
CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Curt Weldon (R-PA), Gerald Weller (R-
IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA),
David Wu (D-OR), and Albert Wynn (D-MD).
The complete text of the Congressional letter is provided below.
#####
Text of Congressional Letter to President Bush
April 20, 2005
The Honorable Geroge W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing to urge you to join us in reaffirming the United
States record on the Armenian Genocide in your upcoming April 24th
commemorative statement.
This date marks the 90th anniversary of the systematic and
deliberate campaign of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire
in 1915. Over the following eight years, one and a half million
Armenians were murdered, and more than have a million were forced
from their homeland into exile. In the years since, descendants of
Armenian immigrants have clung to their identity and have prospered
across this nation and throughout the world. The United States is
fortunate to be home to an organized and active Armenian community,
whose members contribute and participate in every aspect of civic
life.
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. The U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman
Empire, Henry Morgenthau, acting on instructions from Secretaries
of State William Jennings Bryan and Robert Lansing, protested the
slaughter of the Armenians to the Ottoman leaders. Without out
intervention, the Ottoman Empire’s genocidal plan would have been
even more lethal.
As you have eloquently declared, Americans are blessed with freedom
and security, but that good fortune brings with it an important
responsibility. The United States must never allow crimes against
humanity to pass without remembrance and condemnation. As U.S.
efforts to aid victims of genocide continue, it is imperative that
we pay tribute to the memory of others who have suffered and to
never forget the past. By commemorating the Armenian Genocide, we
renew our commitment to prevent future atrocities, and therefore
negate the dictum that history is condemned to repeat itself.
We look forward to your April 24th statement and, as always, stand
ready to work with you on this and the many other matters of
importance to our nation.
Sincerely,