U.S. House leaders pledge ongoing support for Armenian Genocide resolution

PanARMENIAN.Net - 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 on April 21 at the Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide Observance, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority 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, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The annual Armenian Genocide Observance, organized by the Congressional Armenian Caucus with the support of Armenian American organizations, was hosted by Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). Opening prayers were offered by His Eminence Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern United States and Archbishop Yeghishe Gezirian, representing the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America Eastern Region. Earlier in the day, Archbishop Choloyan had offered the opening prayer for the U.S. House earlier in the day. Remarks were also offered by Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Tatoul Markarian, and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic's representative in Washington, DC, Robert Avetisyan.

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. House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) offered moving comments about the core issues of conscience at stake in U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and 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. 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 Karabakh's Representative, Robert Avetisyan, shared his government's full support for U.S. and worldwide condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.