WASHINGTON–With only days remaining until President Obama’s long anticipated April 24th remarks this Friday, the lead sponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution have announced that the number of cosponsors for this human rights measure has grown beyond the hundred mark, signaling broad, bipartisan support for official U.S. recognition of this crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
This legislation, spearheaded by lead sponsors, Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA) and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co- Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), calls on the U.S. President to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. It was introduced on March 17th and has been referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee. The resolution is identical to the one introduced in both the House and Senate in the 110th Congress, which was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and was publicly endorsed by then-candidate for President Barack Obama, his Vice President Joe Biden, and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“We are gratified that the U.S. Congress ‘s from the leadership to committee chairpersons and the bipartisan rank and file ‘s clearly understands that America must always address genocide at the level of American values,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “America’s willingness to stand up against genocide represents a core moral challenge of the 21st Century, not, as Turkey would like, a political issue that it can leverage with pressure, threats, and intimidation.”
President Obama, as a Senator and a candidate for the Presidency, spoke forcefully, clearly, and repeatedly in support of U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, frequently criticizing then- President Bush for failing to properly characterize and commemorate this crime while in the White House. Among President Obama’s statements have been the following:
— “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President.”
— “As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 & S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide”
Joining Congressmen Schiff and Radanovich as cosponsors of H.Res.252 are:
Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Joe Baca (D-CA), Michele Marie Bachmann (R-MN), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D- CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), David Dreier (R-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Jim Himes (D-CT), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson (D-CT), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Candice Miller (R-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Jared Polis (D-CO), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), Zachary Space (D-OH), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), Betty Sue Sutton (D-OH), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Timothy Walz (D-MN), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and David Wu (D-OR).
