Issue Position

During World War I and its aftermath, the Ottoman Empire attempted to destroy the Armenian population of Eastern Anatolia. Congress should remember this tragic event and proclaim that the Armenian
Genocide is a fact. Unfortunately, there are many who deny that the genocide of the 20th Century actually took place. It is long overdue that Congress be on the right side of this issue and affirms what history has shown to be true. Since coming to Congress in 1997, I have cosponsored every resolution commemorating the Armenian Genocide. In March 2009, my colleagues and I introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to recognize the Armenian Genocide. In March 2010, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on this resolution. The resolution passed narrowly, by just one vote, with a final tally of 23 to 22. At the vote, I stressed that the last act of any genocide is genocide denial, and the first act of preventing the next genocide is to acknowledge past acts of genocide. There is no doubt about the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide, and this resolution should have passed by a larger margin. I fought diligently to bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution to a vote on the House floor before the closing of the previous two-year session of Congress in December 2010. I brought the case for recognition to many members of Congress, in order to achieve a majority of votes. Unfortunately, the House leadership at the time decided to not bring the resolution to a vote on the floor. I am an original cosponsor of the new Armenian Genocide Resolution
introduced this year. I will not give up this fight -- I will continue to organize efforts in Congress to ensure that we bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution to a successful vote on the House floor.