Affirming the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide
Floor Speech
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Engel for all of his work on this, and I, of course, thank all of the members of the Armenian caucus. One of the reasons that we founded the Armenian caucus was the recognition of the Armenian genocide.
But I also have to mention that, I think, as everyone knows, without Speaker Pelosi, this would never have come to the floor today. It is, ultimately, her decision to bring it to the floor, and I want to thank her immensely.
Official recognition of the Armenian genocide is a powerful reminder that we will not turn away when we know full well that crimes against humanity have been perpetrated. We stand here today to pay tribute to the victims of this horrific chapter of history, to the perseverance of those who survived, and to the Americans of Armenian descent who continue to strengthen our country.
It is our duty to honor that history with an honest, factual statement recognizing the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as the 20th century's first genocide. This resolution cannot undo the horrors that the victims endured or the pain that their descendants carry with them, but we have an obligation to speak candidly about the past. That is directly tied to our moral responsibilities of the present.
The United States must never accept crimes against humanity, and we must do everything in our power to prevent and stop atrocities unfolding in real time.
What is currently taking place in Syria--the killing of the Kurds at the hands of the Turkish President Erdogan--is unacceptable, and it is far past time for the Turkish Government to accept its responsibility for the systematic extermination of Armenians in the past century and to commit to protect the dignity of every human life in this century.
I encourage my colleagues to join in supporting this long overdue recognition of the Armenian genocide. Mr. Speaker, your vote is not only for the Armenians but to prevent genocide in the future.
Let us note that the Ottoman Turks did not succeed. The Armenians are still here in the United States, in the Republic of Armenia, in Artsakh, and the American people and their Representatives will continue to be with you.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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