California lawmakers urge House of Representatives to pass H.Res.106

PanARMENIAN.Net - California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly member Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank) today sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging Congress to support the Armenian Genocide resolution. The letter says:



"Dear Madam Speaker:



"We understand that the House vote on the resolution recognizing the 1915 slaughter of Armenians as genocide may be in doubt pending a reassessment of support for the measure to be conducted by Rep. Adam Schiff, one of the bill's lead sponsors.



"It is our strong hope that the members of the California delegation, in fact all members of Congress, will resist the strong outside pressure not to vote on the resolution and will stand up in support of the truth.



"As you know, California is home to a large and dynamic Armenian community, whose calls for recognition and remembrance have been powerful and persuasive. These calls have not been limited to this community that has been most impacted, however. Americans of all backgrounds who care about truth and justice and the prevention of future atrocities have likewise demanded recognition of the Armenian Genocide.



"The California Legislature is on record via Assembly Joint Resolution 15 (Krekorian) commemorating and condemning this genocide, and also, it should be noted, acknowledging those Turks who risked their lives to protect Armenians from harm. Clearly the relationship between Turkey and the United States is a vital one. Just as clearly, our nation's relationships need not and should not rest on a rotted framework of revisionist history.



"Congressman Schiff and his co-sponsors were right to bring this bill forward. You have been right in letting it advance. We sincerely hope these good efforts will be rewarded in the ultimate passage of this important and long overdue step toward justice."



October 10, the House Foreign Affairs Committee with a vote 27 to 21 passed the Armenian Genocide resolution. The date for full House vote has not been fixed yet. Meanwhile, 7 Congressmen have already recalled their signatures.