Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email anca@anca.org
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
May 10, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

GEPHARDT REVERSES PRIOR SUPPORT FOR GENOCIDE
RECOGNITION TO SERVE AS FOREIGN AGENT FOR TURKEY

— Pallone, Schiff, and Eshoo Alert their House Colleagues of
Gephardt’s Past Support for Armenian Genocide Resolution

WASHINGTON, DC – Former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt,
who recently closed a major deal to serve as a foreign agent for
the Turkish government, has already begun lobbying on behalf of his
new client against the very same Armenian Genocide Resolution that
he once vigorously supported while a Member of Congress, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Gephardt’s sharp departure from his principled stand for Armenian
Genocide recognition was highlighted this week in a Dear Colleague
letter circulated to all Members of Congress by Representatives
Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Co-Chairman of the Armenian Caucus, Adam
Schiff (D-CA), the lead sponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), the only Armenian American
serving in the U.S. Congress. In their letter, they wrote: "Former
Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) is now employed by the Turkish
government to dissuade Members of Congress from supporting
H.Res.106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution. But in 2000, as a
Member of Congress, he wrote to Speaker Hastert urging immediate
floor consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, claiming
‘this issue requires little if any additional deliberation by the
House.’"

"Armenian Americans appreciate Representatives Eshoo, Schiff and
Pallone alerting their colleagues that the same Dick Gephardt who
is now on the Turkish government’s payroll was – during his long
tenure as an elected official – a principled supporter of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution," said Aram Hamparian, ANCA Executive
Director. "We are all saddened by the spectacle of Dick Gephardt –
for the price of a lobbying contract – publicly compromising his
own integrity and, even worse, seeking to prevent a broad,
bipartisan Congressional majority from voting on this long overdue
human rights legislation in order to appease Turkish threats."

As noted in the Dear Colleague letter, in September of 2000,
Gephardt had joined with Sam Gejdensen, the Ranking Democrat on the
International Relations Committee, and Frank Pallone in urging the
Speaker at the time, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), to schedule an
"immediate" vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution. The three
legislators stressed that, "Armenian Americans communities
throughout the nation have waited long enough for Congress to
recognize the horrible genocide endured by many of their
predecessors."

As a member of the House, Gephardt cosponsored legislation
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, as recently as H.Res.193 in
2003, and dating all the way back to H.J.Res.192, more than 20
years ago, during the 99th Congress. In 1998, he offered remarks
at the ANCA Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill.

To read the DLA Piper profile of Dick Gephardt, visit:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress