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
February 5, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

CHAIRMAN BERMAN SETS COMMITTEE VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
FOR MARCH 4TH

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman,
Howard Berman (D-CA), a leading Congressional supporter of human
rights and a longstanding friend of the Armenian American
community, has scheduled a vote of his panel on the Armenian
Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252, for Thursday, March 4th, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"We want to thank Chairman Berman for his vision and strength in
taking this bold step to send the clear message to Turkey that the
United States Congress will not be complicit in their immoral
efforts to deny truth and justice for the Armenian Genocide," said
Ken Hachikian, Chairman of the ANCA, following his meeting
yesterday in Washington, DC with the senior California legislator.
"We look forward to working with the Chairman and all our friends
on the Committee from both parties to facilitate passage of this
critical piece of human rights legislation by both this panel and
the full House of Representatives. Our grassroots activists are
mobilized to help achieve the success of this effort."

Hachikian also consulted yesterday with several other
Representatives, most notably, Congressional Armenian Genocide
Resolution author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and senior House Foreign Affairs
Committee Members Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Ed Royce (R-CA).

The House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted legislation similar to
H.Res.252, on a bipartisan basis, in 2000, 2005, and 2007. These
past measures, despite their broad-based support, did not reach the
House floor for an up or down vote, largely due to strident
opposition from the Clinton and Bush administrations fearful of
Ankara’s threats of retaliation. President Obama, during his
campaign for office, pledged to recognize the Armenian Genocide and
specifically voiced his strong support for this exact legislation;
his Vice President, Joe Biden, and Secretary of State, Hillary
Clinton, both cosponsored this measure. Since taking office, the
Obama Administration has yet to make any comments, either favorably
or unfavorably, on the Armenian Genocide Resolution currently
before Congress.

Scheduled Vote Culminates Year-Long Grassroots Campaign:

Chairman Berman’s announcement to hold a vote on H.Res.252 comes in
the wake of a year-long mobilization of ANCA and Armenian American
grassroots activists in support of the measure. These efforts have
ranged from local phone banks staffed by ANCA, Armenian Youth
Federation, and community volunteers to Washington DC advocacy days
– including an ongoing Capitol Hill effort this week focusing on
Committee Members and their colleagues from California, New York,
Michigan and Wisconsin.

Efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide have been welcomed by a
broad range of coalition partners from the Greek, Jewish, Christian
and genocide-prevention constituencies. Earlier this week, the ANC
of Massachusetts teamed up with Greater Boston area Jewish American
groups, Investors Against Genocide and ARAMAC – Massachusetts in
launching an online petition – hosted on – calling
for Presidential and Congressional recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
armeniangenocide/actions/view/tell_congress_to_rec ognize_the_armenian_genocide

H.Res.252, introduced in March of 2009 by lead sponsors Adam Schiff
and George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-
chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), currently has
over 135 cosponsors. A parallel Senate measure, spearheaded by
Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV), has 13
cosponsors.

#####

For more information regarding the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
please review the following links:

The text of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
/getdoc.cgi?dbname=3D111_cong_bills&docid=3Df: hr252ih.txt.pdf

The current list of cosponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.252)
in/bdquery/z?d111:HE00252:@@@P

ANCA Talking Points on H the Armenian Genocide Resolution
s252_talkingpoints.pdf