Nancy Pelosi to do everything to bring to vote legislation recognizing Armenian Genocide

November 19, 2010 - 19:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - This year House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she would do everything in her power to bring to a vote the legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915.

But Pelosi's power is much diminished since the November 2 election swept Republicans into the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. On November 17, she became House minority leader. Advocates for the genocide legislation acknowledge there is work to do if they are to see the controversial resolution pass, Glendale News Press reported.

This week, Armenian National Committee of America Chairman Aram Hamparian praised Pelosi for having championed the resolution.

Referring to Ohio Republican John Boehner who will be Speaker of the House when the 112th Congress convenes in January, Hamparian said: "He doesn't have that same record."

But Hamparian was quick to say that many Republicans, including likely House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), support the resolution.

"We've always been fortunate as a community to have friends on both sides of the aisle," Hamparian said.