U.S. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SET TO VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION ON MARCH 4TH
armradio.am
05.02.2010 12:22
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.
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.