National Journal’s CongressDaily
October 17, 2007 Wednesday 19:00 pm Eastern Time

Pelosi Takes Steps Back From Armenian Resolution Vote

Under pressure from her own caucus as well as the White House,
Speaker Pelosi today appeared to back away from a pledge to bring a
resolution on Armenian genocide to the floor by the end of the
session, saying it will take a back seat to other legislation. "We
have a short fuse on [the State Children’s Health Insurance Program],
on FISA, the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act. There are other
items on the agenda," she said.

While retreating from her pledge to hold the vote, she did not
retreat on her support for the measure. "There is a reason to bring
this to the floor," she said. "The fact is a genocide occurred."
Pelosi spoke just before a news conference by several House Democrats
calling for her to keep the measure from coming to the floor for a
vote.
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., was
joined at the event by Reps. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., John Tanner,
D-Tenn., Robert Wexler, D-Fla., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. They said
the resolution threatens to disrupt the U.S. alliance with Turkey.
The White House and House Republicans have made similar points. "We
need allies if we are going to win this war," Murtha said. "My point
is this is not a way to win allies." The lawmakers argued that with
Turkey threatening to pull access to U.S. bases in the region and to
invade Kurdish-controlled area of Iraq, the threat to U.S. soldiers
outweighs the moral issues. "It will not be helpful for us to have
another part of Iraq unstable," Murtha said.

House Republican leaders have been hammering Pelosi on the issue even
as they acknowledge that support for the measure has divided members
on both sides of the aisle. Minority Whip Blunt said he plans to work
against the bill if it comes to the floor and hopes mounting pressure
will force the resolution off the agenda. "A number of Democrats are
working with me and others on that to ensure that if there is a vote,
a vote wouldn’t be successful," he said.

— by Christian Bourge and Fawn Johnson