San Francisco Board of Supervisors calls Pelosi to schedule a vote on H.Res.106

PanARMENIAN.Net - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling upon the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08), to continue to support and immediately schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106).



"It is time for our government to speak with moral clarity on the historical record of the Armenian Genocide rather than be bullied by Turkey's brazen threats," said Haig Baghdassarian, a representative of the Bay Area Armenian National Committee who attended the Board of Supervisors meeting. "The Board of Supervisors vote demonstrates the support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution by the people of San Francisco."



San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin introduced the resolution in support of H.Res.106 on October 23rd, which was immediately cosponsored by nine fellow supervisors. President Peskin introduced the San Francisco measure to support San Francisco's Congressional members in their effort to promote a just U.S. policy regarding the Armenian Genocide. Calling upon the Speaker to schedule a full vote on the bill, the San Francisco resolution states "the proper recognition of the crime of genocide and other crimes against humanity should never be sacrificed for perceived political benefits."



October 24, in a letter sent to Speaker Pelosi, lead author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) stressed that, in asking for this delay, "we believe that a large majority of our colleagues want to support a resolution recognizing the genocide on the House floor and that they will do so, provided the timing is more favorable." The letter goes on to note that they will continue to work with Speaker Pelosi's staff and the House Foreign Affairs Committee staff to bring up the resolution "sometime later this year or in 2008."



October 10, with a vote 27 to 21 the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.106, which was introduced by Representative Adam Schiff January 30, 2007.