U.S. SENATORS CALL ON OBAMA TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Contributor on April 2, 2015
Bipartisan Letter Presses President to Take a Principled Stand
WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators–acting on a bipartisan basis–are calling
upon President Barack Obama, to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide, this
April, as a clear case of genocide, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) led the
bipartisan Senate effort calling on President Obama to recognize the
Armenian Genocide
In a letter sent last week to the White House, fifteen Senators
underscored the urgent need–on the eve of the Armenian Genocide
Centennial–to properly honor the victims of this crime and underscore
America’s principled stand against all genocides, past, present,
and future.
“We thank Senators Menendez and Gardner and all their colleagues who
joined with them, on a bipartisan basis, in encouraging President
Obama to speak openly and honestly about the Armenian Genocide
during this April’s Centennial observance of this crime against
humanity,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “As we mark
the Centennial–with the world’s attention turning to President
Obama’s still unmet pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide–our
government should, once and forever, reject shameless Ankara’s efforts
to enforce a gag-rule on America. Very simply, no nation deserves a
‘veto’ against America’s defense of human rights.”
The Senate letter, led by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Senator
Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), notes that: “While the United States Congress
has a long history of support for the victims and the memory of the
Armenian Genocide, the Administration has not formally recognized
the atrocities that were perpetrated against the Armenians as
‘genocide'” The Senate signatories stressed that a principled stand
by the president would “send a powerful signal to the international
community that this Administration is committed to recognizing the
Armenian Genocide, to upholding the ideals of tolerance and universal
human rights upon which our country was founded, and to preventing
similar atrocities from ever happening again.”
Senate signatories of the Armenian Genocide letter to Obama include
Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.),
Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.),
Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.),
Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Elizabeth Warren
(D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
A separate U.S. House letter, spearheaded by Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairmen Robert Dold (R-Ill.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), is also
being sent to Obama. Details to follow.
The complete text of the Senate Letter is available at: