InternationalCongressional committee passes Armenian Genocide resolution
Obama Administration in last-moment intervention
Published: Thursday March 04, 2010
Supporters and opponents of the resolution packed the Committee room for nearly six hours of debate and voting. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan / The Armenian Reporter
Armenian MPs Vahan Hovhannisian (left) of opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Artak Zakharyan of the ruling Republican Party arrived in Washington in support of the vote. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan / The Armenian Reporter
Washington - After nearly three hours of debate, and in a drawn-out two-hour vote, the House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs narrowly passed the Armenian Genocide resolution with 23 votes in favor and 22 in opposition. (A full vote tally is available at the end of the article.)
House Resolution 252 affirms the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide and recommends to the administration to reflect that understanding in U.S. foreign policy.
Administration weighs in
As the committee meeting got underway, it emerged that a day earlier Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had asked committee chair Rep. Howard Berman (D.-Calif.) to hold off on the vote, but Mr. Berman nevertheless proceded with the vote.
The Associated Press cited White House spokesperson Mike Hammer as saying that Mrs. Clinton claimed that the vote would run counter to efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey; the same argument has been made by the Turkish government.
The secretary of state and other U.S. officials made no such arguments when asked about the resolution in weeks before the vote. The latest intervention reportedly came following a call placed by Turkish President Abdullah Gul to President Barack Obama.
Arguments in favor
At the end of a three-hour debate, 13 members spoke in favor of the resolution with 14 speaking in opposition setting the stage for a close vote to come.
The only Muslim member of Congress Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) in his first remarks on the Genocide resolution spoke in favor of passage, stressing its importance for defense of human rights.
Committee Chair Berman, Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Don Payne (D-N.J.), Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Diane Watson (D-Calif.) - all long-time affirmation supporters - also spoke in favor of the measure.
Rep. Smith, in particular, called Turkey's denial of the Genocide and lack of appropriate condemnation an "assault on the dignity of the Armenian people."
For his part, Rep. Sherman urged members of Congress "not to act like cowards" in face of "hollow" Turkish threats. He listed America's many contributions to Turkey's security and development, as well as Armenia's efforts to assist U.S. policies, as he argued forcefully in favor of the measure.
Rep. Sherman also noted that Armenia's leaders supported the resolution's passage and argued that unless U.S. stopped deferring to Turkey, Armenia-Turkey protocols will remain stuck due to the Turkish government's refusal to ratify them.
Arguments against
The committee's most senior Republican, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) spoke repeatedly against passing the resolution citing national security concerns.
Long-time resolution opponent Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) cited the Armenia-Turkey protocols signed last October, and particularly the clause on "sub-commission on historical dimension," as an argument against the resolution.
Also citing the protocols were two past resolution supporters, Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) and Mike McCaul (R-Tex.) who this time vote against, arguing that resolution's passage would "harm Armenians."
Opposing the resolution were recently elected Committee members Reps. Mike McMahon (D-N.Y.) and Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), who claimed that the resolution does not help America's foreign policy priorities.
Also speaking in opposition were Reps. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), John Tanner (D-Tenn.), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), Ted Poe (R-Tex.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Ron Paul (R-Tex.).
A close vote
Voting began at 2:15 PM EST as scheduled and continued for an hour and a half. More resolution opponents voted early on, putting its ultimate passage in question. It was not until minutes before the vote was closed that a narrow majority for passage was established.
As Mr. Berman read out the final tabulated votes, 23 in favor, 22 against, the audience in the hearing room which included three Armenian Genocide survivors broke into cheers.
Also present at the debate were three members of the Armenian parliament and eight members of the Turkish parliament along with ambassadors from Turkey and Armenia.
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and how they voted on March 4
| Member | Party and state | Resolution co-sponsor? | Vote on resolution |
| Howard Berman | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Gary Ackerman | D-N.Y. | Yes | In favor |
| Eni Faleomavega | D-American Samoa | No | In favor |
| Donald Payne | D-N.J. | Yes | In favor |
| Brad Sherman | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Eliot Engel | D-N.Y. | No | In favor |
| Bill Delahunt | D-Mass. | No | Against |
| Gregory Meeks | D-N.Y. | No | Against |
| Diane Watson | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Russ Carnahan | D-Mo. | No | Against |
| Albio Sires | D-N.J. | Yes | In favor |
| Gerald Connolly | D-Va. | No | Against |
| Michael McMahon | D-N.Y. | No | Against |
| John Tanner | D-Tenn. | No | Against |
| Gene Green | D-Tex. | No | In favor |
| Lynn Woolsey | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Sheila Jackson Lee | D-Tex. | No | Didn't vote |
| Barbara Lee | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Shelley Berkley | D-Nev. | Yes | In favor |
| Joseph Crowley | D-N.Y. | Yes | In favor |
| Mike Ross | D-Ark. | No | Against |
| Brad Miller | D-N.C. | No | Against |
| David Scott | D-Geo. | No | Against |
| Jim Costa | D-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Keith Ellison | D-Minn. | No | In favor |
| Gabrielle Giffords | D-Ariz. | No | In favor |
| Ron Klein | D-Fla. | No | In favor |
| Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | R-Fla. | No | Against |
| Christopher Smith | R-N.J. | Yes | In favor |
| Dan Burton | R-Ind. | No | Against |
| Elton Gallegly | R-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Dana Rohrabacher | R-Calif. | No | In favor |
| Donald Manzullo | R-Ill. | No | In favor |
| Edward Royce | R-Calif. | Yes | In favor |
| Ron Paul | R-Tex. | No | Against |
| Jeff Flake | R-Ariz. | No | Against |
| Mike Pence | R-Ind. | No | Against |
| Joe Wilson | R-S.C. | No | Against |
| John Boozman | R-Ark. | No | Against |
| Gresham Barrett | R-S.C. | No | Against |
| Connie Mack | R-Fla. | No | Against |
| Jeff Fortenberry | R-Neb. | No | Against |
| Michael McCaul | R-Tex. | Yes | Against |
| Ted Poe | R-Tex. | No | Against |
| Bob Inglis | R-S.C. | No | Against |
| Gus Bilirakis | R-Fla. | Yes | In favor |
