WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), again this week, urged the Congressional leadership to take note of the overwhelming bipartisan support for legislation marking the 15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the Genocide Convention and schedule a vote on the Senate and House Genocide resolutions (S.Res.164 and H.Res.193).

In an ANCA update sent to Members of Congress, ANCA Government Affairs director Abraham Niziblian outlined ten key reasons why Senate Majority Leader Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert should place the Genocide legislation on the Congressional docket for action. The complete Memorandum follows.

The Genocide resolution was introduced in the Senate in June, 2003 by Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ). Its companion House measure, H.Res.193, led by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), was adopted unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee last May and has 111 cosponsors. The resolution cites the importance of remembering past crimes against humanity, including the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities. Support for the measure has been widespread, with a diverse coalition of over 100 ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations calling for its passage, including American Values, National Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the National Council of La Raza.

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An Update on the Congressional Genocide Resolution

It has been more than a year since Representatives George Radanovich, Adam Schiff, and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg introduced the House version of the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, in April of 2003. Senators John Ensign and Jon Corzine introduced the Senate version, S.Res.164, in June of 2003.

If the House and Senate leaderships do not schedule votes on their respective Genocide Resolutions, this human rights legislation will die with the end of Congressional session this November.

The key question, with less than six months before the end of the Congressional session, is – “Why have House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist not scheduled votes on the Genocide Resolution?”

Provided below are ten compelling reasons why the Genocide Resolution deserves a vote:

1) The Genocide Resolution seeks to prevent future genocides

At its heart, the goal of the Genocide Resolution is to prevent future genocides. This legislation stresses the importance of remembering and learning the lessons of past crimes against humanity, including the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and the Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, in an effort to stop future atrocities. Supporters of this legislation recognize that silence in the face of genocide only encourages those who would commit such atrocities in the future.

2) The Genocide Resolution strengthens America’s commitment to the Genocide Convention

The resolution strengthens America’s commitment to the universal values of the Genocide Convention and calls on the United States to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the Genocide Convention. The law implementing the Convention, known as the Proxmire Act, was named after the Wisconsin Senator who led a tireless 20-year campaign to attain U.S. adoption of the Genocide Convention. Senator Proxmire, noted for his unswerving commitment to human rights, delivered over 3,200 speeches during his Senate career to ensure passage of this measure.

3) The Genocide Resolution was unanimously adopted by the House Judiciary Committee

On May 21, 2003 the House Judiciary Committee adopted the Genocide Resolution without a single dissenting vote. The report prepared by the House Judiciary Committee described the Armenian Genocide in the following terms: “Beginning in 1915, the Islamic Turkish state of the Ottoman Empire sought to end the collective existence of the Christian Armenian population. From 1915 through 1918, during World War I, the Ottoman Empire subjected the Armenian people to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre, and starvation. The atrocities were renewed between 1920 and 1923. It is estimated that one and a half million Armenians were killed out of over two million Armenians who had lived in the Ottoman Empire.”

4) The Genocide Resolution has broad, bipartisan support

This measure has been cosponsored by 39 Senators and 111 Representatives.

This March, a bi-partisan group of over sixty (60) U.S. Representatives co-signed a Congressional letters Speaker Dennis Hastert to bring the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, to a vote in the U.S. House. The letter, which was initiated by Genocide Resolution author Rep. George Radanovich, stressed that: “As we saw in Rwanda a decade ago, and as we witness today the signs of a possible new genocide emerging around the world – as a government and a people – we must make sure that we apply the lessons of past genocide to prevent future crimes against humanity. Sadly, even as we confront new genocides, we still have among us those who – against all facts and morality- deny the Holocaust or seek rewrite the history of the past atrocities. These hateful deniers dishonor the dead and threaten the living. They make the world a more dangerous place by emboldening future potential perpetrators of genocide to believe that their crimes can be committed with impunity. Adolf Hitler confirmed this with his chilling remark to his military staff prior to launching the Holocaust: “who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians.”

5) The Genocide Resolution has been endorsed by a coalition of over 100 organizations

Support for the Genocide Resolution has been widespread, with a diverse coalition of over one hundred (100) ethnic, religious, civil and human rights organizations calling for its passage, including American Values, National Organization of Women, Sons of Italy, National Council of Churches, NAACP, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and the National Council of La Raza.

6) Pulitzer Prize winning author supports adoption of the Genocide Resolution

Samantha Power, the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of “A Problem from Hell” – America and the Age of Genocide, supports the Genocide Resolution. Ms. Power, who formerly served as Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, has said that, “For too long American leaders and citizens have reflexively uttered the phrase “never again” without taking concrete steps to give the slogan meaning. This legislation marks the beginning of a twenty-first century campaign to get the U.S. government to commit itself politically and operationally to prevent future genocide.”

7) Over forty (40) legislators participated personally in the Capitol Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide

On April 28th, over 40 Senators and Representatives participated in the Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill, which attracted hundreds of Armenian Americans who traveled to Washington, DC from around the nation to thank their legislators for supporting the passage of the Genocide Resolution.

8) One hundred and ninety-one (191) members of Congress asked President this April to recognize the Armenian Genocide

One hundred and sixty-nine (169) U.S. Representatives and twenty-two (22) U.S. Senators co-signed Congressional letters this April urging President Bush to honor his pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide in his annual April 24th remarks.

9) National Genocide Resolution postcard campaign

Over 75,000 Armenian Americans and other friends of Armenia have participated in a national postcard campaign urging House Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader to bring the Genocide Resolution to a vote in their respective houses of Congress. In California alone, this postcard campaign has been publicly endorsed by the Mayor of Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn; State Controller Steve Westly; Attorney General Bill Lockyer; Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi; Los Angeles Supervisor Mike Antonovich; Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, and a many others.

10) Benefit concert supports passage of Genocide Resolution

The multi-platinum selling, Grammy Award nominated band “System Of A Down” played a sold-out benefit concert in Los Angeles on April 24th for the Armenian National Committee of America and other groups supporting the Genocide Resolution.