WASHINGTON, DC – Former House Democratic leader and Presidential hopeful, Representative Dick Gephardt (D-MO) indicated his support for a resolution marking the 15th Anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the U.N. Genocide Convention, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Rep. Gephardt joins Democratic Presidential candidates John Edwards (D-NC), John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), who had supported similar legislation last year in the Senate.

Over 85 members of Congress have already agreed to cosponsor H.Res.193, introduced on April 10th by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). The legislation specifically describes the 15th anniversary of U.S. implementation of the Genocide Convention as a step “toward ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda, among others, will be used to help prevent future genocides.” The resolution also notes that, despite the international community’s consensus against genocide, “denial of past instances of genocide continues and many thousands of innocent people continue to be victims of genocide.”

House Members who have agreed to cosponsor the legislation include Representatives: Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joe Baca (D-CA), Charles Bass (R-NH), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Duke Cunningham (R-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Calvin Dooley (D-CA), David Dreier (R-CA), Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Richard Gephardt (D-MO), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Joe Hoeffel (D-PA), Tim Holden (D-PA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Gerald Kleczka (D-WI), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), William Lipinski (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), George Miller (D-CA), 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), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Mark Souder (R-IN), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Sweeney (R-NY), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Fred Upton (R-MI), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Diane Watson (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

The Genocide Resolution is supported by all the leading Armenian American organizations, including: the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics (New York, NY), Armenia Fund USA (New York, NY), Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council (San Francisco, CA), Armenian Assembly of America (Washington, DC), Armenian Bar Association (Los Angeles, CA), Armenian Evangelical Union of North America (Paramus, NJ), Armenian Evangelical World Council (Paramus, NJ), Armenian General Benevolent Union (New York, NY), Armenian Missionary Association of America (Paramus, NJ), Armenian National Committee of America (Washington, DC), Armenian Relief Society (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Armenian Youth Federation (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church – East (New York, NY), Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church – West (Burbank, CA), Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural Organization (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union (Watertown, MA; Glendale, CA), Knights of Vartan (New York, NY), National Organization of Republican Armenians (Washington, DC), Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – East (New York, NY), Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – West (Glendale, CA), Tekeyan Cultural Association (Watertown, MA), United Armenia Fund (Glendale, CA).