KEY HOUSE PANEL PASSES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL
Asbarez
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Mar 4th, 2010
WASHINGTON-Against the backdrop of severe opposition and pressure,
the Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res. 252, cleared a critical
hurdle Thursday, when the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted in
favor of the bill-23 to 22-paving the way for a vote by the entire
House of Representatives.
The passage of the bill elicited immediate reactions, with Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton calling on the entire House to not pass the
measure, and the Turkish government recalling its newly-appointed
ambassador to the US.
Three Genocide survivors and several members of the Armenian-American
community, as well as Armenia’s ambassador to the US Tatul Markarian
and an Armenian parliamentary delegation were on hand when Rep. Howard
Berman, chairman of the committee, opened the hearing at 7 a.m.
In his introductory remarks, Berman underlined the undisputed fact
of the Armenian Genocide, noted that the overwhelming majority of
scholars affirm the fact of the genocide, and urged his colleagues
for vote for it. He added, "It is now time for Turkey to acknowledge
the reality of the Armenian Genocide."
The passage of this resolution by the committee is a tribute to the
hard work of the Armenian-American community against substantial
lobbying by the government of Turkey. We hope that this is the first
step towards the United States of America soon joining Canada in
recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Turkey Recalls Ambassador
Turkey says it is recalling its ambassador to the U.S. for
consultations following a resolution declaring the killing of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I genocide, reported AP.
The move came minutes after the U.S. congressional panel approved
the resolution Thursday.
A government statement said Ambassador Namik Tan was being recalled
with immediate effect.
Bill Author, Adam Schiff, Applauds Win
"A bipartisan majority today rejected Turkey’s gag rule, setting
the stage for Speaker Pelosi and the full U.S. House to properly
commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The Committee’s message was simple
yet powerful: Turkey doesn’t get a vote or a veto in the U.S.
Congress," said a statement by Armenian National Committee of America
chairman Ken Hachikian.
"As Americans of Armenian heritage, it holds great meaning to see our
nation move one step closer to putting the painful lessons of the
Armenian Genocide to work in helping to end the cycle of genocide,
in Darfur and around the world," added Hachikian.
"A moral foreign policy has always been among our strongest assets and
one of the greatest forces for good in the world. Despite Turkey’s
last minute threats and intimidation, Chairman Berman and the House
Foreign Affairs Committee have shown that it’s always the right time
to do the right thing," concluded Hachikian.
Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) praised the passage of the resolution
he authored recognizing and commemorating the Armenian Genocide.
"The facts of history are clear, well documented, and non-negotiable.
One and a half million Armenians were deliberately murdered in the
first genocide of the 20th century. If we are to avoid this horrific
crime in the future, we must be willing to condemn genocide whenever
and wherever it occurs." said Schiff. "Today’s Committee passage clears
a major hurdle in moving this resolution forward. I will be working
with my colleagues to ensure floor action for this important bill."
"The Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide"
resolution calls on the President to "ensure that the foreign policy
of the United States reflects appropriate understanding" of the
"Armenian Genocide" and to "accurately characterize the systematic
and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide."
Clinton Reaction
Clinton said the full U.S. Congress shouldn’t vote on a resolution
passed by a House committee Thursday.
"We do not believe that the full Congress will or should vote on that
resolution and we have made that clear to all the parties involved,"
Clinton told reporters at a conference in Costa Rica.
After remaining silent on the Thursday vote, both President Obama
and Clinton made an eleventh-hour effort to derail the hearing,
saying that the Genocide issue was a matter to be resolved between
Turkey and Armenia and that the resolution would adversely impact the
Armenia-Turkey protocols now awaiting ratification in the parliaments
of the two countries.
After speaking to Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday,
President Obama Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reach out to Berman.
"Secretary Clinton called Chairman Berman yesterday and in that
conversation the Secretary indicated that further Congressional action
could impede progress on normalization of relations," said National
Security Staff spokesman Mike Hammer.
The conversation took place after the president spoke with President
Gul and "expressed appreciation" for his and Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s "efforts on normalization of relations between
Turkey and Armenia."
The president also "pressed for rapid ratification of the protocols,"
Hammer said, referring to efforts at normalization between Armenia
and Turkey.
"Our focus is on ensuring that we continue to make progress on an
issue that for almost a hundred years has divided two countries,"
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Below is the vote tally:
Y = 17 (D) + 6 (R) = 23 N = 9 (D) + 13 (R) = 22 Absent = 1 (D) =
1 Total = 46
DEMOCRATS:
(chair) Berman – Y
Ackerman – Y
Faleomavaega – Y
Payne – Y
Sherman – Y
Engel – Y
Delahunt – N
Meeks – N
Watson – Y
Carnahan – N
Sires – Y
Connolly – N
McMahon – N
Tanner – N
Green – Y
Woolsey – Y
Jackson-Lee – abs
Lee – Y
Berkley – Y
Crowley – Y
Ross – N
Miller – N
Scott – N
Costa – Y
Ellison – Y
Giffords – Y
Klein – Y
(27-YES)
REPUBLICANS (ranking member) Ros-Lehtinen – N Smith – Y Burton – N
Gallegly – Y Rohrabacher – Y Manzullo – Y Royce – Y Paul – N Flake –
N Pence – N Wilson – N Boozeman – N Barrett – N Mack – N Fortenberry –
N McCaul – N Poe – N Iglis – N Bilirakis – Y (19 -NO)