09/22/10 - Was the first Senator to place a hold on the nomination of Matthew Bryza to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan, which prevented Mr. Bryza from being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Sen. Boxer lead the effort to stop the nomination of Mr. Bryza, who has repeatedly failed to meaningfully confront Azerbaijani aggression against Armenians.

09/10 - Sen. Boxer was viciously attacked in Wall Street Journal and Washington Post editorials for stopping the nomination of Mr. Bryza to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan and accused of representing Armenia, instead of California, because she considered the appeals from Californians of Armenian ancestry.

09/21/10 - Voted and spoke against the nomination of Matthew Bryza to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, because of concerns about his ability to confront increasing Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh. "I don’t believe he is the right person for this position,” explained Senator Boxer. “What concerns me is that Mr. Bryza has demonstrated a pattern of unwillingness to speak out forcefully in the face of increasing Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh."

08/10 - Was the only Senator to ask for a delay before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on the nomination of Matthew Bryza to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan, which gave Senators the critical time they needed to properly examine his nomination and responses concerning Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijani aggression, and potential conflict of interest concerns.

07/10 - Submitted two rounds of written questions to Matthew Bryza to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan. Questions concerned Azerbaijan's aggression against Nagorno Karabakh; Mr. Bryza's failure to forcefully confront Azerbaijan's videotaped demolition of an ancient Armenian cemetery in Djulfa; Nagorno Karabakh's right to self determination; Section 907; and U.S. assistance to Nagorno Karabakh. To see all questions, visit:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/Boxer_BryzaResponses.pdf
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/Boxer_BryzaResponses2.pdf

07/23/10 - Forcefully questioned Matthew Bryza at his confirmation hearing to be Ambassador to Azerbaijan, concerning Mr. Bryza's failure to forcefully condemn Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno Karabakh and the demolition of an Armenian cemetery in Azerbaijan; Nagorno Karabakh's right to self determination; Section 907; and U.S. assistance to Nagorno Karabakh. To watch video, visit http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1913

04/10 - Sen. Boxer lead the effort to gather Senate signatures for a letter to President Obama, urging him to "stand on the right side of history and unequivocally affirm the Armenian Genocide."

04/21/10 - Submitted remarks commemorating the Armenian Genocide for the Congressional Record - Mr. President, we teach our children that genocide, wherever it occurs, is a crime against humanity that must never be tolerated or ignored. That is why it is so important for the United States to always recognize genocide for what it is and acknowledge when it takes place.

Between 1915 and 1923, the Ottoman Empire carried out genocide against the Armenian people. However, the United States has yet to recognize this stain on history by its rightful name despite an irrefutable body of evidence documenting the atrocities.

Diplomats, members of the military, humanitarians, journalists and others from the United States and around the world saw with their own eyes the deportation, starvation, drowning and murder of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. And there are countless testimonies from victims who lived to tell of their experiences.

The American Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morganthau, wrote:

When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and in their conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the fact.

There were great efforts made by Americans to relieve the suffering of the victims of what would become the first genocide of the 20th century. Powerful leaders of industry and government did speak out. Schoolchildren and poor families contributed mightily to try to save lives by donating whatever they could. American farmers sent food to reduce starvation.

Yet in the 95 years since the Armenian Genocide began, the word “genocide” has not been used by the United States to describe the atrocities carried out against the Armenians.

The United States has always been a beacon to the world—standing up for what is right and just. Now is the time for the United States to join countries such as Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, and more than 40 U.S. States and unequivocally affirm the Armenian Genocide.

04/24/09 - Submitted remarks commemorating the Armenian Genocide for the Congressional Record - Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 94th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide .

Ninety-four years ago today, the Ottoman Empire--now modern-day Turkey--began the systematic destruction of the Armenian people. Armenians were driven from their homes and villages, marched to their deaths in the deserts of the Middle East, and slaughtered in cold blood. Before it was over, approximately 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives in the first genocide of the 20th century.

Recently, the Armenian and Turkish Governments announced important progress toward achieving the full normalization of relations between their two countries. I support this effort, and am hopeful that this process will lead the Turkish Government to finally acknowledge the irrefutable truth of the Armenian genocide and also to greater peace and prosperity for the people of Armenia .

As President Barack Obama has said, ``The Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable.'' There is no need for further study or debate because we must never legitimize the views of those who deny the very worst of crimes against humanity.

On this solemn anniversary, we remember those who were lost in the Armenian genocide , while honoring the survivors and their descendants who have done so much to make America and the world a better place. I am personally grateful that so many of those individuals have chosen to call California home.

We also take pause to acknowledge that such crimes are continuing today. There is perhaps no more fitting example than the genocide that is raging in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Since 2002, the Sudanese Government has attempted to exterminate the African Muslim population of Darfur with horrific acts of brutality. Villages have been burned to the ground, innocent women and children slaughtered by helicopter gunships, and rape has been used as a tool of genocide . What happened to the Armenians is genocide . What is happening today in Darfur is genocide , even though the Government of Sudan denies this.

Genocide is only possible when people avert their eyes. Any effort to deal with genocide --in the past, present or future--must begin with the truth. By acknowledging the truth of the Armenian genocide , we can end the phony debates and strengthen our ability to stand up against mass killing today.