Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) offered moving remarks on the floor of the U.S. House this week in support of full and formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In his April 18th speech, Representative Sarbanes stressed that the U.S. government's failure to stand up to Turkey's denial of this crime "puts salt on the wounds of the Armenian people. But it does more than that. It corrodes the moral standing of our Nation as a whole."

He also explained to his House colleagues that: "When faced with the deeply compelling research and scholarship surrounding the Armenian Genocide, it is wholly untenable to assert that the genocide did not occur. Instead, many in Congress offer the protest that recognition would harm our relationship with Turkey and undermine our broader geostrategic interests. Others suggest weakly that it is just not the right time to push the issue of recognition."

"Armenian Americans from Maryland and across America join in thanking Congressman Sarbanes for his principled call for U.S. condemnation and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We share his view that U.S. complicity in the denial of this crime not only represents an offense against Armenians, but also a surrender of our human rights policy to foreign pressure that undermines America's moral standing."