Armenian National Committee – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918
Fax: 818.246.7353
ancwr@anca.org

PRESS RELEASE

February 18, 2010
Contact: Lerna Kayserian Shirinian

REP. BRAD SHERMAN JOINS WITH COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS TO RALLY SUPPORT
FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION AS COMMITTEE VOTE APPROACHES

VAN NUYS, CA – San Fernando Valley Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)
pledged to stand strong against escalating Turkish Government lobby
efforts to defeat the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252), as
the House Foreign Affairs Committee prepares to mark-up the measure
on March 4th, reported the Armenian National Committee Western
Region (ANC-WR).

Representatives of the Armenian National Committee – West San
Fernando Valley (ANC West SFV) and Armenian National Committee –
Western Region (ANC-WR) discussed Congressional affirmation of the
Armenian Genocide and a broad range of community concerns during a
meeting Rep. Sherman (D-CA) at his Van Nuys district office earlier
this week. The meeting was led by ANC-WR Government Relations
Director Lerna Shirinian and Chairman of the ANC West SFV, Nareg
Kitsinian.

Serving as senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Rep. Sherman noted his commitment to working with his colleagues in
Congress to continue building support for H. Res. 252 and ensuring
a victory in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"Rep. Sherman’s active support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution
is exactly the strong moral leadership we need to bring America
back to the right side on this important human rights issue,"
stated ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna Shirinian. "We
look forward to working with the Congressman on this and other
initiatives to help end the cycle of genocide," she added.

Since his election to office in 1997, Rep. Sherman has been
outspoken in his calls on the Turkish Government to deal honestly
with its genocidal past and end the international campaign of
denial. . During remarks at the ANCA’s "End the Cycle of Genocide"
commemorative event in Washington, DC, Rep. Sherman argued, "Where
would America be if we said, ‘slavery – it didn’t really happen.’
Where would America be if we said ‘there was no effort to destroy
particular Native American tribes during the 1700 and 1800s.’ Where
would America be if we failed to acknowledge our own history? Where
would Germany be if it failed to acknowledge its history? Why does
Turkey think it can reach the modern world if it still anchors
itself to an Ottoman mentality? It cannot do that. The future of
Turkey is in acknowledging the history of its own people."

He has been a vocal advocate of expanded U.S. assistance to Armenia
and Nagorno Karabagh, challenging former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice over the Bush Administration’s call for a
significant reduction in aid to Armenia in its FY09 budget during
her appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2008.

"Congressman Sherman has been a powerful and eloquent advocate for
a strong U.S.-Armenia relationship and just resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabagh conflict," said Nareg Kitsinian, Chairman of the
ANC West SFV. "We are proud to have him representing our community
in 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 137 cosponsors. A parallel Senate measure, spearheaded by
Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV), has 13
cosponsors. 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.
Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee recently announced that a vote on H.Res.252 will be take
place on March 4th of this year, following a year-long mobilization
of the ANCA and Armenian American grassroots activists across the
country.

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization
in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western
United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the
ANC-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on
a broad range of issues.

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Photo caption: ANC-WR Government Relations Director Lerna Kayserian
Shirinian, Congressman Brad Sherman, ANC of West San Fernando
Valley Chairman Nareg Kitsinian.