ASSEMBLY HAILS RECORD SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

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Legislation Clears Milestone with 218 House Cosponsors

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly announced today that the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res.106) achieved a major milestone by garnering the support of a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives. With the addition of Representatives Donna Christensen (D-VI) and John Yarmuth (D-KY), H. Res. 106 now has 218 cosponsors. Along with the resolution’s sponsor, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the bill has a total of 219 supporters (this number takes into account two Members of Congress that are still technically listed as cosponsors, one of whom has since passed away and another who resigned from Congress.)

“With the threshold of 218 cosponsors having been reached, it is clear that a majority of the House supports recognition of the historical fact of the Genocide,” Schiff told the Assembly. “Affirmation and re-affirmation of the Armenian Genocide remains a compelling human rights issue, and I hope that our majority support will prompt early passage of the resolution.”

“Only by remembering and learning from the past, can we hope to prevent future atrocities,” Schiff continued.

H. Res. 106, which was introduced in late January, calls upon the President to “ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding” of the “Armenian Genocide” and to “accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide,” in the President’s annual message.

Passage of the legislation would reaffirm the U.S. historical record which includes thousands of pages documenting the premeditated extermination of the Armenian people. American intervention prevented the full realization of Ottoman Turkey’s genocidal plan, while the first major U.S. humanitarian assistance effort provided much needed relief to those who survived.

“The Armenian Genocide resolution has reached a record level of bipartisan support, proving that despite the intense lobbying efforts by those who seek to deny the truth, the momentum continues to grow for reaffirmation of the historical truth,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian.

“We are pleased by this record level of support which once again proves that there are sufficient votes in the House to pass this resolution,” said Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. “We will continue to work with the members of the Armenian Caucus, the cosponsors, and with the leadership of both parties to secure a concluding, affirming vote on this legislative measure. U.S. clarity on this fact of world history is of critical importance and long past due.”

“We are getting exceedingly closer to our goal of passing the Armenian Genocide resolution and properly recognizing this historic tragedy,” said Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA). “This recognition is especially poignant given the tragedies occurring today in Darfur.”

Executive Director Bryan Ardouny praised Assembly supporters and activists, as well as the entire Armenian-American community for reaching out to their elected officials. “Having crossed this important threshold, we will continue our advocacy efforts to secure a vote and successful passage of this critical human rights legislation. We are encouraged by the groundswell of support – both inside and outside of Congress.”

“In addition to the strong bipartisan support of the Members of Congress and grassroots activism, there are also some 50 diverse organizations and human rights groups that also support H.Res.106,” Ardouny continued [see complete list below].

Ardouny also encouraged activists to continue their advocacy efforts, explaining that “the greater the number of cosponsors, the greater our chances the legislation will be brought to the House floor.”

H. Res. 106 is currently pending before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, of which Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) serve as the Chair and Ranking Member. Both Lantos and Ros-Lehtinen voted in favor of an identical resolution (H. Res. 316) before the Committee last Congress.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership organization.