WASHINGTON, DC — In a strong showing of bipartisan support, over a hundred U.S. Representatives have signed a Congressional letter urging President George W. Bush to honor his pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.

In public statements and letters to Armenian American organizations and individuals, then Governor Bush affirmed that:

“The twentieth century was marred by wars of unimaginable brutality, mass murder and genocide. History records that the Armenians were the first people of the last century to have endured these cruelties. The Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies comprehension and commands all decent people to remember and acknowledge the facts and lessons of an awful crime in a century of bloody crimes against humanity. If elected President, I would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the Armenian people.”

The letter to the President was circulated by the Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Representatives Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, as well as the two lead sponsors of last year’s Armenian Genocide Resolution, Representatives David Bonior and George Radanovich. Along with over 100 of their House colleagues, they are urging the President to “formally acknowledge this brutal episode in human history and describe it for what it was – a genocide.”

In a joint letter to members of the U.S. House last month, the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America wrote that, “by signing this letter you will join with Armenian-Americans throughout the United States, with citizens of all backgrounds who care about human rights, and with all those who are troubled by what Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel has called the ‘double killing’ of genocide denial.”

Text of Letter to President George W. Bush

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing to voice our strong support for your principled stand on the affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, as defined in a series of statements and letters during your campaign for the presidency.

As Members of Congress who have consistently supported official affirmation by the United States of the Armenian Genocide, we welcomed your pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. We look forward to your statement of recognition on April 24th and we hope that you will take this opportunity to reiterate your stand characterizing the Armenian Genocide as a genocide. We urge you to formally acknowledge this brutal episode in human history and describe it for what it was – a genocide.

Please look to us for cooperation on further steps that we can take together to ensure that the lessons of the Armenian Genocide are properly understood and affirmed by the American people. We stand ready to assist you in this noble endeavor and in the many other matters of importance to our nation related to Armenia and the surrounding region.

Thank you for taking our views into consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Co-Signers of Letter to President George W. Bush

Ackerman, Gary (D-NY)
Allen, Tom (D-ME)
Andrews, Robert (D-NJ)
Baca, Joe (D-CA)
Becerra, Xavier (D-CA)
Berman, Howard (D-CA)
Bilirakis, Michael (R-FL)
Blagojevich, Rod (D-IL)
Bonior, David (D-MI)
Brown, Sherrod (D-OH)
Cantor, Eric (R-VA)
Capps, Lois (D-CA)
Capuano, Michael (D-MA)
Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD)
Condit, Gary (D-CA)
Costello, Jerry (D-IL)
Coyne, William (D-PA)
Crowley, Joseph (D-NY)
Cunningham, Duke (R-CA)
DeFazio, Peter (D-OR)
Delahunt, William (D-MA)
Dingell, John (D-MI)
Doggett, Lloyd (D-TX)
Dooley, Calvin (D-CA)
Doyle, Mike (D-PA)
Ehrlich, Robert (R-MD)
Engel, Eliot (D-NY)
Eshoo, Anna (D-CA)
Ferguson, Mike (R-NJ)
Filner, Bob (D-CA)
Frank, Barney (D-MA)
Gekas, George (R-PA)
Gilman, Benjamin (R-NY)
Gutierrez, Luis (D-IL)
Hart, Melissa (R-PA)
Hinchey, Maurice (D-NY)
Hoeffel, Joe (D-PA)
Holt, Rush (D-NJ)
Honda, Michael (D-CA)
Horn, Steve (R-CA)
Hoyer, Steny (D-MD)
Johnson, Nancy (R-CT)
Kelly, Sue (R-NY)
Kennedy, Patrick (D-RI)
Kildee, Dale (D-MI)
Kirk, Mark Steven (R-IL)
Kleczka, Gerald (D-WI)
Knollenberg, Joe (R-MI)
Kucinich, Dennis (D-OH)
Langevin, James (D-RI)
LaTourette, Steven (R-OH)
Lee, Barbara (D-CA)
Levin, Sander (D-MI)
Lipinski, William (D-IL)
LoBiondo, Frank (R-NJ)
Lofgren, Zoe (D-CA)
Lowey, Nita (D-NY)
Maloney, Carolyn (D-NY)
Markey, Edward (D-MA)
McCarthy, Carolyn (D-NY)
McGovern, James (D-MA)
McNulty, Michael (D-NY)
Meehan, Martin (D-MA)
Meek, Carrie (D-FL)
Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
Miller, George (D-CA)
Moakley, Joe (D-MA)
Morella, Constance (R-MD)
Nadler, Jerrold (D-NY)
Napolitano, Grace (D-CA)
Neal, Richard (D-MA)
Norton, Eleanor Holmes (D-DC)
Olver, John (D-MA)
Pallone, Frank (D-NJ)
Pelosi, Nancy (D-CA)
Putnam, Adam (R-FL)
Radanovich, George (R-CA)
Rangel, Charles (D-NY)
Rivers, Lynn (D-MI)
Rodriguez, Ciro (D-TX)
Rothman, Steven (D-NJ)
Roukema, Marge (R-NJ)
Roybal-Allard, Lucille (D-CA)
Royce, Edward (R-CA)
Rush, Bobby (D-IL)
Ryan, Paul (R-WI)
Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA)
Saxton, H. James (R-NJ)
Schiff, Adam (D-CA)
Shays, Christopher (R-CT)
Sherman, Brad (D-CA)
Shimkus, John (R-IL)
Solis, Hilda (D-CA)
Souder, Mark (R-IN)
Stark, Pete (D-CA)
Sweeney, John (R-NY)
Thomas, William (R-CA)
Tierney, John (D-MA)
Towns, Edolphus (D-NY)
Visclosky, Peter (D-IN)
Walsh, James (R-NY)
Waxman, Henry (D-CA)
Weiner, Anthony (D-NY)
Weller, Gerald (R-IL)
Wolf, Frank (R-VA)
Woolsey, Lynn (D-CA)
Wynn, Albert (D-MD)

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