WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.106, continued to gain momentum toward passage today with the total number of Members cosponsoring the human rights measure clearing the 200 mark, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Representatives from Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and New York were among the latest additions, bringing the overall cosponsor total to 209.

“We are encouraged by the growing bipartisan support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution – as so dramatically illustrated today by the growth of the number of cosponsors for this genocide prevention measure to more than two hundred,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We value the leadership of the resolution’s authors, appreciate the support of each of its cosponsors, and look forward to working with all of these friends to see the Armenian Genocide Resolution adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives at the first opportunity.”

“Two hundred cosponsors is an important milestone,” stated resolution lead sponsor Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). “This overwhelming support for the resolution is evidence that Members of Congress and their constituents believe that recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which claimed more than a million and a half lives, is a moral imperative.”

Introduced on January 30th by Rep. Adam Schiff and spearheaded by Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), the Armenian Genocide resolution calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide. A similar resolution in the Senate (S.Res.106), introduced by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) currently has 31 cosponsors, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

Lead advocates for H.Res.106 hailed the continuing growth of support for the resolution and urged swift House consideration of the legislation.

“To have 200 Members of the House of Representatives declaring their strong support for properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Rep. Anna Eshoo, who is of Armenian and Assyrian American descent. “I will continue to do everything I can to see that this long-overdue legislation comes to the floor of the House for a vote and that we will prevail.”

Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone concurred, noting that “the addition of 200 co-sponsors to the Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution shows the overwhelming support in the House of Representatives for properly acknowledging the systematic massacre of 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1915 as genocide. Members of Congress understand that our nation cannot effectively work to end crimes against humanity without recognizing those that have previously occurred.”

Similarly, Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg noted that, “the fact that 200 members have co-sponsored this resolution is a strong indication that it’s time to schedule a vote on the House floor. There is significant bipartisan support for giving the Armenian Genocide its proper historical distinction. I commend my colleagues who have co-sponsored this resolution for giving their support to this important issue.”

Rep. Radanovich concurred that it is, in fact, time for a vote on this key human rights legislation. “I am excited that we have reached the two hundred cosponsor mark,” said
Rep. Radanovich. “This shows overwhelming bipartisan support for official recognition of the Armenian Genocide and further evidence that this resolution deserves a vote on the House floor.”

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Grassroots Action for Adoption of Armenian Genocide Resolution
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Since the introduction of Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.106 & S.Res.106), the ANCA national, regional and local chapters have been working with tens of thousands of activists across the United States to secure support and swift passage of this human rights legislation.

Earlier this year, the ANCA Western and Eastern Region offices launched the POWER Initiative designed to significantly expand community outreach and support. Dubbed “Project Outreach Western Region” in the West and “Project Outreach Waves the Eastern Region” in the East, the program has generated renewed grassroots activism in large and small communities. Travels to traditional strongholds in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois have been complemented with visits to Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina, expanded outreach to established communities in Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri and burgeoning communities in Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington state.

On March 22nd and 23rd, over 100 activists from 25 states participated in the Washington, DC advocacy days, titled “End the Cycle of Genocide: Grassroots Capitol Campaign.” By the end of the whirlwind two-day campaign, organized by the ANCA and the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net), activists had visited all 100 Senate and 435 House of Representatives offices, meeting with Members of Congress and their staff, and dropping off information regarding pending Armenian and Darfur genocide legislation.

Thousands have already sent ANCA WebFaxes to their Senators and Representatives in support of the Armenian Genocide legislation through participation in the “Click for Justice” internet campaign, launched on April 21st, to call renewed attention to key Armenian Genocide and Darfur Genocide legislation.

The Armenian Genocide resolution is supported by a broad-based coalition of over 44 human rights, religious, civic, and ethnic organizations, including the International Association of Genocide Scholars, American Values, and the National Council of Churches.

Armenian Americans and human rights supporters can lend their voice to the ongoing “Click for Justice” campaign by visiting www.anca.org.

The current list of Congressional Cosponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution include (in alphabetical order):

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joe Baca (D-CA), Michele Marie Bachmann (R-MN), Brian Baird (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrow (D-GA), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Marion Berry (D-AR), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mary Bono (R-CA), Robert Brady (D-PA), Bruce Braley (D-IA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Dave Camp (R-MI), John Campbell (R-CA), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), William Clay (D-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Lincoln Davis (D-TN), Susan Davis (D-CA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Charles Dent (R-PA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), John Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), John Doolittle (R-CA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), David Dreier (R-CA), Keith Maurice Ellison (D-MN), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX), Al Green (D-TX), Gene Green (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Phillip Hare (D-IL), Jane Harman (D-CA), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Paul Hodes (D-NH), Tim Holden (D-PA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Ron Kind (D-WI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), John R. Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Douglas Lamborn (R-CO), James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson (D-CT), Steven LaTourette (R-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Dan Lungren (R-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Cathy McMorris (R-WA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Candice Miller (R-MI), Gary Miller (R-CA), George Miller (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Edwin Perlmutter (D-CO), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), Jon Porter (R-NV), George Radanovich (R-CA), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Mike Rogers (R-MI), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Mike Ross (D-AR), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Tim Ryan (D-OH), John Salazar (D-CO), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Mark Souder (R-IN), Zachary Space (D-OH), Pete Stark (D-CA), Betty Sue Sutton (D-OH), Thomas Tancredo (R-CO), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Mike Thompson (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Mark Udall (D-CO), Tom Udall (D-NM), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Tim Walberg (R-MI), James Walsh (R-NY), Timothy Walz (D-MN), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Gerald Weller (R-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), David Wu (D-OR), Albert Wynn (D-MD).