ASSEMBLY HAILS RECORD SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Lragir.am
12-07-2007 15:43:36

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly announced today that
the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res.106) achieved a major
milestone by garnering the support of a bipartisan majority in the
House of Representatives. With the addition of Representatives Donna
Christensen (D-VI) and John Yarmuth (D-KY), H. Res. 106 now has 218
cosponsors. Along with the resolution’s sponsor, Congressman Adam
Schiff (D-CA), the bill has a total of 219 supporters (this number
takes into account two Members of Congress that are still technically
listed as cosponsors, one of whom has since passed away and another
who resigned from Congress.)

"With the threshold of 218 cosponsors having been reached, it is clear
that a majority of the House supports recognition of the historical
fact of the Genocide," Schiff told the Assembly. "Affirmation and
re-affirmation of the Armenian Genocide remains a compelling human
rights issue, and I hope that our majority support will prompt early
passage of the resolution."

"Only by remembering and learning from the past, can we hope to
prevent future atrocities," Schiff continued.

H. Res. 106, which was introduced in late January, calls upon the
President to "ensure that the foreign policy of the United States
reflects appropriate understanding" of the "Armenian Genocide" and to
"accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation
of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide," in the President’s annual message.

Passage of the legislation would reaffirm the U.S. historical record
which includes thousands of pages documenting the premeditated
extermination of the Armenian people. American intervention prevented
the full realization of Ottoman Turkey’s genocidal plan, while the
first major U.S. humanitarian assistance effort provided much needed
relief to those who survived.

"The Armenian Genocide resolution has reached a record level of
bipartisan support, proving that despite the intense lobbying efforts
by those who seek to deny the truth, the momentum continues to grow
for reaffirmation of the historical truth," said Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian.

"We are pleased by this record level of support which once again
proves that there are sufficient votes in the House to pass this
resolution," said Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. "We
will continue to work with the members of the Armenian Caucus,
the cosponsors, and with the leadership of both parties to secure a
concluding, affirming vote on this legislative measure. U.S. clarity
on this fact of world history is of critical importance and long
past due."

"We are getting exceedingly closer to our goal of passing the Armenian
Genocide resolution and properly recognizing this historic tragedy,"
said Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA). "This recognition is
especially poignant given the tragedies occurring today in Darfur."

Executive Director Bryan Ardouny praised Assembly supporters and
activists, as well as the entire Armenian-American community for
reaching out to their elected officials. "Having crossed this important
threshold, we will continue our advocacy efforts to secure a vote and
successful passage of this critical human rights legislation. We are
encouraged by the groundswell of support – both inside and outside
of Congress."

"In addition to the strong bipartisan support of the Members of
Congress and grassroots activism, there are also some 50 diverse
organizations and human rights groups that also support H.Res.106,"
Ardouny continued [see complete list below].

Ardouny also encouraged activists to continue their advocacy efforts,
explaining that "the greater the number of cosponsors, the greater
our chances the legislation will be brought to the House floor."

H. Res. 106 is currently pending before the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, of which Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
serve as the Chair and Ranking Member. Both Lantos and Ros-Lehtinen
voted in favor of an identical resolution (H. Res. 316) before the
Committee last Congress.