WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has launched its 2006 “Hye Voter Turnout” campaign – a nation-wide, drive to ensure that record numbers of Armenian American voters go to the polls this November 7th, armed with timely and reliable information about where the candidates seeking their votes stand on Armenian American issues.

The campaign took off this week with grassroots volunteers across the country calling to speak with Congressional campaigns about the electoral value of the ANCA 2006 Congressional Candidate Questionnaires. These questionnaires were distributed nation-wide earlier this year to candidates for each of the 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats being contested this November.

An ANCA tradition for the better part of the past two decades – the questionnaires provide candidates with the opportunity to outline their views on issues of special concern to Armenian Americans. Responses to the questionnaires will be widely distributed to Armenian Americans prior to Election Day. The policy areas covered by the questionnaires are the following:

* The Armenian Genocide
* U.S. Support for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
* U.S.-Armenia Economic Relations
* U.S. Military Aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan
* Self-Determination for Nagorno Karabagh
* Conditions on U.S. Aid to Azerbaijan
* The Turkish Blockade of Armenia
* Subsidy of a Proposed Caucasus Railway Bypass

The questionnaires are part of the “Hye Voter Turnout” campaign, a nation-wide grassroots effort to educate Armenian Americans about the policy issues impacting Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and the surrounding region; provide timely and reliable information on the records and views of the candidates seeking Armenian American votes, and; encourage increased civic participation in local, state, and national elections.

As in years past, a key component of the “Hye Voter Turnout” will be the ANCA Congressional Report Card, a useful tool for voters that has proven itself an enduring fixture on the Armenian American landscape. This rating system, which will be featured on the ANCA website – www.anca.org – assigns each Congressional incumbent a grade based on their level of support for a broad range of legislative initiatives on Armenian American issues. The ANCA will issue Congressional endorsements later in the election cycle.

“The ANCA is gratified, once again, to offer our Congressional Candidate Questionnaires as a public service to empower Armenian Americans as active and informed participants in the coming election campaigns,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “We encourage everyone to download the questionnaires from our website, and invite all Armenian Americans who are interested in getting politically involved this election season to contact us at anca@anca.org to find out how to get in touch with their local ANCA chapter and other area activists.”

Copies of the ANCA 2006 Congressional Candidate Questionnaire are provided in Adobe PDF format and can be downloaded or printed from the ANCA website:
https://www.anca.org/election2006/quest06.pdf

The full text of the ANCA 2006 Congressional Candidate Questionnaire is provided below.

Despite overwhelming evidence, Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide – the systematic and deliberate massacre of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915-1923.

1) Do you support the adoption of the Congressional Armenian Genocide Resolution?

U.S. Support for Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh:

U.S. aid has strengthened Armenia’s economy by promoting trade and investment, and by helping offset the impact of the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades.

2) Do you support U.S. aid and other programs to strengthen Armenia’s self-reliance?

3) Do you support continued U.S. developmental and humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabagh?

U.S.-Armenia Economic Relations:

Over the past five years, U.S.-Armenia trade levels have nearly doubled, creating export, investment and commercial opportunities for U.S. firms.

4) Do you support actions to expand U.S.-Armenia economic relations?

U.S. Military Aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan:

Since 2001, based on an agreement between the White House and Congress to promote peace and regional stabilty, parity has been maintained in the level of military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

5) Do you support maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan?

Self-Determination for Nagorno Karabagh:

In 1923 Stalin carved Nagorno Karabagh out of Armenia and placed it under Soviet Azerbaijani rule, setting the stage for seven decades of oppression, followed, after 1988, by Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing aggression against the population of this Armenian territory.

6) Do you support the people of Nagorno Karabagh’s right to self-determination?

Conditions on U.S. Aid to Azerbaijan:

In 1992 Congress passed Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act to limit aid to Azerbaijan until it lifts its blockades of Armenia and Karabagh. In 2001 the Congress reaffirmed its support for this law, but gave the President limited waiver authority.

7) Do you support maintaining Section 907?

The Turkish Blockade of Armenia:

In 1996 the Congress enacted the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act in response to Turkey’s policy of blocking U.S. humanitarian aid to Armenia.

8) Do you support legislative and other means to urge Turkey to end its blockade of Armenia?

9) Do you supporting pressing Turkey, as a condition for purchasing U.S. arms, to end its blockade of Armenia, occupation of Cyprus, attacks on Kurds, restrictions on Christians, and rights abuses?

Subsidy of a Proposed Caucasus Railway Bypass:

U.S. taxpayers are being asked to fund the construction of an unnecessary and costly railroad between Turkey and Georgia, whose sole purpose is to undermine the economic viability of the existing railroad going through Armenia.

10) Do you oppose taxpayer subsidies for a politically motivated new railroad that circumvents Armenia?