Congress adjourns with no vote on Genocide resolution

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Thursday December 23, 2010

Aram Hamparian led the Armenian National Committee's efforts to pass the resolution. Facebook photo

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Washington - Armenian Americans' hopes were dashed yet again as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) decided not to schedule a resolution affirming the U.S. record on Armenian Genocide for a vote in the final session of the House of Representatives on December 22.

In the last several days there had been hopeful reports of impending action on the measure after more than two decades of stalling.

The Armenian National Committee of American (ANCA) - the main advocate for the passage of House Resolution 252 - had swung into action shortly after mid-term elections that saw Republicans take control of the House.

ANCA urged outgoing Speaker Pelosi, a long time supporter of affirmation, to finally bring the measure to a vote in the remainder of her term, before she is replaced by John Boehner (R-Ohio), who opposed a similar resolution in 2007.

"House aides, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said [on December 17] that Democratic leaders have been discussing a possible vote [on the Genocide resolution] with lawmakers," AP reported the next morning.

ANCA reported early that day that a vote on the resolution was imminent.

"We continue to look to the House Democratic leadership to schedule a vote allowing a bipartisan majority to vote for the Armenian Genocide Resolution," ANCA's Aram Hamparian said in a statement.

Congress returned on December 21 for a two-day session to pass outstanding legislation prior to the Christmas break, but session concluded without a vote on the Armenian resolution,

Pushback

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on December 17 to discuss the news and "Ms. Clinton said she would exert all efforts possible" against the vote, Davutoglu was quoted as saying by TurkishNY news site.

Turkey's prime minister and president also communicated their opposition to President Barack Obama in writing.

No similar calls or letters were reported from leaders of Armenia who are known to support international affirmation efforts.

Nevertheless, Lincoln McCurdy, a former American diplomat turned Turkish lobbyist, sounded panicky.

"We are very concerned that there is a backroom deal going on led by the Democratic leadership to sneak the Armenian resolution through in the final hours of the 111th Congress," McCurdy told AP.

While spokesman for the State Department Philip Crowley confirmed that it "strongly oppose[d] the resolution" and that State Department officials were lobbying Congress about it.

But there were no public signs of pressure against Pelosi, as both Obama and Clinton appeared preoccupied with other legislation before Congress, and Turkish lobby appeared to be caught by surprise.

Vote count

A member of Turkish parliament and spokesman for the ruling party Suat Kiniklioglu predicted the resolution would pass if it came to a vote, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

But in a December 8 commentary, ANCA called on Pelosi to provide for an "opportunity to vote up or down on the Armenian Genocide Resolution," apparently reflecting persistent question about whether the resolution would win majority support.

Considering the known level of support for the resolution in Congress any vote was bound to be close. The resolution cleared the Foreign Affairs Committee last March by just one vote and had the formal co-sponsorship of 149 out of 435 members of the House. A similar resolution in 2007 had more than 200 co-sponsors.

But analysis of the votes held on December 21 and 22 appears to show that proponents of the resolution had their best chances for success during those sessions.

During a vote to provide additional funding for September 11 victims in the afternoon of December 22, 186 members of Congress had already gone home for the holidays.

Of 257 that voted, more than 100 were Genocide resolution co-sponsors providing better odds than had all members of Congress been present. (Support for the resolution is believed to have not been limited to co-sponsors, just as not all co-sponsors were guaranteed to vote for the resolution).

Most importantly, key resolution opponents, including Boehner, as well as Reps. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), as well as three of five co-signers of December 17 letter against the resolution Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) and Kay Granger (R-Tex.), did not vote and had apparently already gone home.

Of the five members who countered with a letter of support for the resolution, Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), only one, Speier, was absent.