AZG DAILY #20, 06-02-2010
Armenian Genocide
Update: 2010-02-06 01:33:20 (GMT +04:00)
CHAIRMAN BERMAN SETS COMMITTEE VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
FOR MARCH 4TH
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, yesterday 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 February 4 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.