States News Service
August 3, 2007 Friday

CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR WITHDRAWAL OF RICHARD
HOAGLAND’S NOMINATION TO BE NEXT AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the office of California
Rep. Adam Schiff:

Today, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressed his support for the
White House’s withdrawal of the nomination of Richard E. Hoagland’s
to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. Mr. Hoagland had been
nominated to replace Ambassador John Evans who was pushed to retire
from his post by the Bush Administration. Congressman Schiff and many
of his Congressional colleagues believe Ambassador Evans was recalled
for his comments made in February of 2005 in which he publicly
recognized the Armenian Genocide.

The President was right to withdraw Mr. Hoagland’s nomination, Schiff
said. During his confirmation hearings, Mr. Hoagland continued to
deny that the massacre of a million and a half Armenians between 1915
and 1923 was genocide, thereby compounding the injury done to the
Armenian people and, especially, the few remaining survivors of the
first genocide of the Twentieth Century. I hope that the President
will soon nominate a new ambassador who will be more forthcoming in
discussing the Armenian Genocide

On March 21, at an Appropriations hearing before the Subcommittee on
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Schiff pressed
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her opposition to recognizing
the Armenian Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire between 1915
and 1923. In his pointed questioning, Schiff repeatedly asked the
Secretary of State if she believed that the murder of 1.5 million
Armenians could be characterized as anything other than a genocide.
The Secretary did not directly respond.

Rep. Schiff was appointed to serve on the House Appropriations
Committee in the 110th Congress and is a member of its Commerce,
Justice, and Science Subcommittee, the State Department and Foreign
Operations Subcommittee, and the Financial Services Subcommittee. He
also serves on the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel and the House
Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet,
and Intellectual Property. He represents California’s 29th
Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra,
Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale,
Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.