U. S. REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERS SELECTED
De Facto
Nov 26, 2008
YEREVAN, 26.11.08. DE FACTO. The House Republican Conference met
last week to select its leaders for the 111th Congress, reported the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA), a member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues and a cosponsor of H.Res. 106, the Armenian
Genocide resolution, was elected to serve as Republican Whip. As the
second highest ranking person in Republican Leadership, Rep. Cantor is
responsible for mobilizing votes, coordinating strategy and acting as
a liaison between rank and file Members and the leadership. Minority
Whip Cantor replaces outgoing Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who voted
against H.Res. 106 in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in
October of 2007.
Armenian Caucus Member and H.Res. 106 cosponsor, Representative
Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), will also serve in the House Republican
leadership. Rep. McCotter was re-elected as Chairman of the Republican
Policy Committee. In this role, McCotter will be responsible in
crafting winning policies that can help the Republicans regain control
of the House, which they lost in 2006. In addition to cosponsoring
H.Res. 106, McCotter also supported H..Res.102, honoring the life and
legacy of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and calling
for the repeal of Article 301 of Turkey’s Penal Code that effectively
punishes discussion of the Armenian Genocide.
Representative Cathy McMorris (R-WA), cosponsor of the H.Res.106
and cosigner of the 2006 Armenian Genocide letter, will serve as
Republican Conference Vice-Chair.
Rounding out the other posts, Representative John Boehner (R-OH) won
re-election as Republican Leader and followed the Administration’s
opposition to H.Res. 106; Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), who voted against
H.Res.
106 in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, will serve as Republican
Conference Chairman; Rep. John Carter (R-TX) will be Republican
Conference Secretary and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) will serve as
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman.
"The new Congress and Administration will provide important
opportunities on a wide variety of issues. We look forward to working
with the incoming leadership, and in particular, Armenian Caucus
members and supporters Reps.
Cantor, McCotter and McMorris, especially as we gear up for our March
2009 Advocacy Conference," stated Bryan Ardouny, Executive Director
of the Assembly.