04/21/10 - His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, offers the opening prayer on the House floor at the invitation of Rep. Maloney.

04/21/10 - Remarks by Rep. Maloney immediately after the opening prayer - Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the Representative of a large and vibrant community of Armenian Americans, I rise to welcome His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan in his offering of the opening prayer, and join my colleagues this week in the sad commemoration of the Armenian genocide.

On this 95th anniversary of the genocide, I join with a chorus of voices that grows louder with each passing year. We simply will not allow the planned elimination of an entire people to remain in the shadows of history. The Armenian genocide must be acknowledged, studied, and never, ever allowed to happen again.

The archbishop is the head of the Armenian Church in the United States, which is located in my district. As the spiritual shepherd of several hundred thousand Armenian Americans in the Eastern United States, he plays a significant role in the life of the Armenian community. It is a great honor to welcome him today.

04/22/09 - Remarks submitted for the Congressional Record - Madam Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and the representative of a large and vibrant community of Armenian Americans, I join my colleagues in the sad commemoration of the Armenian Genocide .

Today we declare once again that the Turkish and American governments must finally acknowledge what we have long understood: that the unimaginable horror committed on Turkish soil in the aftermath of World War I was an act of genocide .

The tragic events began on April 24, 1915, when more than 200 of Armenia's religious, political and intellectual leaders were arrested in Constantinople and killed. Ultimately, more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically murdered at the hands of the Young Turks, and more than 500,000 more were exiled from their native land.

On this 94th anniversary of the genocide , I join with the chorus of voices that grows louder with each passing year. We simply will not allow the planned elimination of an entire people to remain in the shadows of history. The Armenian Genocide must be acknowledged, studied, and never, ever allowed to happen again.

Three years ago I joined with my colleagues in the Caucus in urging PBS not to give a platform to the deniers of the genocide by canceling a planned broadcast of a panel which included two scholars who deny the Armenian Genocide . This panel was to follow the airing of a documentary about the Armenian Genocide . Along with Representative Anthony Weiner, I led a successful effort to convince Channel Thirteen in New York City to pull the plug on these genocide deniers.

The United States must join other parliaments in passing a resolution affirming that the Armenian people were indeed subjected to genocide . The House Committee on Foreign Affairs took an important step two years ago in passing such a resolution. In the 111th Congress, I am a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 252, and I am hopeful that this resolution will make it to the Floor.

An acknowledgment of the genocide is not our only objective. I remain committed to ensuring that the U.S. government continues to provide direct financial assistance to Armenia. Over the years, this aid has played a critical role in the economic and political advancement of the Armenian people. This year I have joined with my colleagues in requesting economic and military assistance for Armenia.

Legislation passed in the 109th Congress and signed into law to reauthorize the Export Import Bank included important language prohibiting the Bank from funding railroad projects in the South Caucasus region that deliberately exclude Armenia.

American tax dollars should not be used to support efforts to isolate Armenia, and these provisions would prevent that by ensuring that U.S. funds are not used to support the construction of a new railway that bypasses Armenia. A railway already exists that connects the nations of Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, but because it crosses Armenia, an expensive and unnecessary new railway had been proposed. Allowing the exclusion of Armenia from important transportation routes would stymie the emergence of this region as an important East-West trade corridor.

On this solemn day, our message is clear: the world remembers the Armenian Genocide , and the governments of Turkey and the United States must declare - once and for all - that they do, too.

2/19/2009 - Michael Messmer of the Gephardt Group emailed Morgan Harris (Scheduler) regarding scheduling request for Mr. Nazim Ekren, MP and Minister of State, to meet with Maloney to discuss global economic issues.