MASSACHUSETTS SENATE CANDIDATE CAPUANO OPPOSES HISTORICAL COMMISSION
armenian weekly
December 7, 2009
The Congressman states positions on ANCA Questionnaire; Special
Election is Tuesday, Dec. 8
Congressman Mike Capuano (D-Mass.), affirmed his positions on a
number of issues of concern to the Armenian-American community
in his responses to the ANCA Questionnaire for candidates for the
U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts. Concerning the provision in
the Armenia-Turkey Protocols for a historical commission, Capuano
responded that: "I consider the Armenian Genocide to be settled
historical fact and I oppose establishing a commission or any other
entity to reexamine that fact."
Capuano clearly expressed his support for the independence of the
Republic of Mountainous Karabagh and for providing continuing US
humanitarian and developmental aid to the republic, noting that he
has voted for such aid in the past and "will continue to support this
funding moving forward." Providing aid directly to Artsakh is a key
item in the legislative agenda of the Armenian National Committee of
America as it both assists the people of the republic and bolsters
its international legitimacy.
The congressman stated that: "I am in favor of continuing military
parity through funding provided by the U.S. to both Armenia and
Azerbaijan. I believe it is essential that we not exacerbate any
potential military conflicts in the region." He also expressed his
support for Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act that limits U.S.
aid to Azerbaijan until it lifts its blockades of Armenia and Artsakh.
While he supports using legislative and diplomatic tools to urge
Turkey to end its blockade of Armenia, he did not support linking
Turkey’s ability to purchase U.S. arms to ending the blockade.
"Mike Capuano’s forthright opposition to the establishment of a
historical commission, which would undermine decades of genocide
research, is consistent with his long record in Congress of speaking
out for justice for the Armenian Genocide" stated ANC of Massachusetts
Co-Chairman Dikran Kaligian.
The ANCA Questionnaire is distributed to candidates for federal
offices so that the Armenian-American community can be informed of
their positions on critical issues of concern before casting their
votes. The Democratic and Republican primary election will be held
Tuesday, Dec. 8 to fill the U.S. Senate seat that fell vacant with
the death of Senator Ted Kennedy.