US HOUSE LEADERS PLEDGE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
Tert.am
22.04.10
Calls for President Barack Obama to properly recognize the Armenian
Genocide and upon the Congressional leadership to schedule a vote on
the Armenian Genocide Resolution took center stage at the Capitol Hill
Armenian Genocide Observance, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and
Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) leading more than 20 of their House
colleagues at this remembrance calling for official U.S. condemnation
and commemoration of this crime against humanity, according to release
issued by Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The annual Armenian Genocide Observance, organized by the Congressional
Armenian Caucus with the support of Armenian American organizations.
In speech after speech, Members of Congress condemned Turkey’s refusal
to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and its ongoing campaign to
pressure the international community into complicity in Ankara’s
denial of this crime.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a longtime supporter of Armenian Genocide
recognition, stressed the remaining survivors of this crime challenge
the conscience of America. She welcomed the passage of H.Res.252 by
the Foreign Affairs Committee and called on her colleagues not to
rest until the entire U.S. government properly recognizes this crime
as genocide.
Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) called on his colleagues and all Americans
to never stand as mere witnesses to genocide. Congressman Howard
Berman, who, as Chairman, shepherded the Armenian Genocide Resolution
through the Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke powerfully about the
moral obligation that all Americans bear to both stand up against
genocide and to oppose efforts to deny the reality of genocidal crimes.
The lead author of H.Res.252, Adam Schiff (D-CA), spoke of his
commitment to secure final adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
by both houses of Congress and the full recognition of this crime by
both the U.S. government and, ultimately, the government of Turkey
as well.
Among the many other notable speeches delivered at the program was
the one given by New Jersey Congressman Steve Rothman (D), who,
in powerful remarks warmly welcomed by the hundreds in attendance,
noted that he has consistently told Turkish leaders that Turkey- U.S.
relations will suffer "until and unless they recognize the genocide
and discuss compensation and reparations with Armenians."
Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) took direct aim at those who perennially
argue that "this is not the right time" to pass the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, noting that this excuse will always be around: "We will
always hear that this is not the right time. I say we do it now!"
Armenia’s Ambassador, Tatoul Markarian, in his address to the
gathering, stressed that continued progress toward universal
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide represented an
important contribution to prospects for improved Turkey-Armenia
relations. Similarly, the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh’s
Representative, Robert Avetisyan, shared his government’s full support
for U.S. and worldwide condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.