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Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 23, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
TWENTY-TWO U.S. SENATORS CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH
TO PROPERLY CHARACTERIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
-- Senators Join with 169 U.S. Representatives
in Record-Setting Congressional Effort
WASHINGTON, DC - Twenty-two U.S. Senators joined with week with one
hundred and sixty-nine Members of the House of Representatives in
calling upon President Bush to honor his campaign pledge to
properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
In an April 19th letter to the President, initiated by Senators Jon
Corzine (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV), the bi-partisan group of
legislators "respectfully request that you [the President] refer to
the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide in your commemorative
statement. This would constitute a proud, irrefutable and
groundbreaking chapter in U.S. diplomatic history."
"We want to thank Senator's Corzine and Ensign for initiating this
letter and to express our appreciation to Senator John Kerry and
each of the other Senators who joined together in urging the
President to properly commemorate the Armenian Genocide," said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "We look forward to
working with each of these Senators, all of whom are supporting the
Genocide Resolution - S.Res.164 - to secure the passage of this
human rights legislation."
Joining Senators Corzine and Ensign were Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Norm
Coleman (R-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Christopher Dodd (D-CT),
Richard Durbin (D-IL), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), James Jeffords (I-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry
(D-MA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Barbara
Mikulski (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Paul
Sarbanes (D-MD), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
Combined, the one hundred and ninety-one Representatives and
Senators represents a record number of legislators calling on
President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide
The House letter, sent earlier this week, was circulated by
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), as well as Congressional Genocide resolution lead
sponsors Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff
(D-CA). In the letter, the 169 Congressional co-signers noted to
Pres. Bush that "by properly recognizing the atrocities committed
against the Armenian people as 'genocide' in your statement, you
will honor the many Americans who helped launch our first
international human rights campaign to end the carnage and protect
the survivors."
During his 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush had referred
to the "genocidal campaign" perpetrated against the Armenian people
and pledged to properly characterize that tragedy when elected
President. Neither the President's 2001, 2002, nor his 2003 April
24th statements have honored that pledge. Last year over 165 U.S.
Representatives signed a similar letter to the President.
Genocide resolutions in the House and Senate that mark the 15th
anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the United Nations
Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of Genocide have
received broad bipartisan support. House legislation (H.Res.193),
which mentions the horrors of the Armenian Genocide as well as the
Holocaust and the Cambodian and Rwanda tragedies, was unanimously
adopted by the Judiciary Committee last May and currently has 110
cosponsors. A similar measure (S.Res.164) introduced in the Senate
by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ) currently has
38 cosponsors.
The State Department is officially on record against the Genocide
Resolution.
#####
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 23, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
TWENTY-TWO U.S. SENATORS CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH
TO PROPERLY CHARACTERIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
-- Senators Join with 169 U.S. Representatives
in Record-Setting Congressional Effort
WASHINGTON, DC - Twenty-two U.S. Senators joined with week with one
hundred and sixty-nine Members of the House of Representatives in
calling upon President Bush to honor his campaign pledge to
properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
In an April 19th letter to the President, initiated by Senators Jon
Corzine (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV), the bi-partisan group of
legislators "respectfully request that you [the President] refer to
the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide in your commemorative
statement. This would constitute a proud, irrefutable and
groundbreaking chapter in U.S. diplomatic history."
"We want to thank Senator's Corzine and Ensign for initiating this
letter and to express our appreciation to Senator John Kerry and
each of the other Senators who joined together in urging the
President to properly commemorate the Armenian Genocide," said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "We look forward to
working with each of these Senators, all of whom are supporting the
Genocide Resolution - S.Res.164 - to secure the passage of this
human rights legislation."
Joining Senators Corzine and Ensign were Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Norm
Coleman (R-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Christopher Dodd (D-CT),
Richard Durbin (D-IL), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), James Jeffords (I-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry
(D-MA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Barbara
Mikulski (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Paul
Sarbanes (D-MD), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
Combined, the one hundred and ninety-one Representatives and
Senators represents a record number of legislators calling on
President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide
The House letter, sent earlier this week, was circulated by
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), as well as Congressional Genocide resolution lead
sponsors Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff
(D-CA). In the letter, the 169 Congressional co-signers noted to
Pres. Bush that "by properly recognizing the atrocities committed
against the Armenian people as 'genocide' in your statement, you
will honor the many Americans who helped launch our first
international human rights campaign to end the carnage and protect
the survivors."
During his 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush had referred
to the "genocidal campaign" perpetrated against the Armenian people
and pledged to properly characterize that tragedy when elected
President. Neither the President's 2001, 2002, nor his 2003 April
24th statements have honored that pledge. Last year over 165 U.S.
Representatives signed a similar letter to the President.
Genocide resolutions in the House and Senate that mark the 15th
anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the United Nations
Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of Genocide have
received broad bipartisan support. House legislation (H.Res.193),
which mentions the horrors of the Armenian Genocide as well as the
Holocaust and the Cambodian and Rwanda tragedies, was unanimously
adopted by the Judiciary Committee last May and currently has 110
cosponsors. A similar measure (S.Res.164) introduced in the Senate
by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ) currently has
38 cosponsors.
The State Department is officially on record against the Genocide
Resolution.
#####