US House Leaders Pledge Ongoing Support for Armenian Genocide Resolution

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.