[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H2183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening with all of my colleagues 
that have come to the floor, members of the Armenian Caucus here in the 
House of Representatives, on the occasion of the anniversary of the 
1915 Armenian genocide to remember the 1\1/2\ million human beings, the 
women, the children, the men who were killed, and the 500,000 Armenians 
forcibly deported by the Ottoman Empire during an 8-year reign of 
brutal repression.
  Armenians were deprived of their homes, their humanity, and 
ultimately their lives. Yet, America, as the greatest democracy and the 
land of freedom, has not yet made an official statement regarding the 
Armenian genocide.
  Today, there are some in Congress, some in our country that ignore 
the lessons of the past by refusing to comment on the events 
surrounding the genocide. They are encouraging new hardships for 
Armenia by moving to lift sanctions against Azerbaijan caused by their 
continuing blockade of Armenia.
  I am very proud, Mr. Speaker, of my heritage. I am part Armenian and 
part Assyrian. I believe the only Member of Congress both in the House 
and the Senate to claim these heritages. I came to this understanding, 
not just when I arrived in the Congress, as so many of us at the knees 
of our grandparents and the elders in our family, we were told 
firsthand the stories of the hardship and the suffering.
  That is how I come to this understanding and this knowledge and why I 
bring this story and this understanding to the floor of the House and, 
indeed, to the House of Representatives.
  I am very proud of this heritage and the contributions which my 
people have made to this great Nation. They have distinguished 
themselves in the arts, in law, in academics, in every walk of life in 
our great Nation, and they keep making important contributions to the 
life of this Nation.
  It is inconceivable to me that this Nation would choose in some 
quarters to keep its head in the sand by not stating in the strongest 
terms our recognition of the genocide and our objection to what took 
place.
  Why do I say this? Because I think it is very important to express 
very publicly, not only acknowledge what happened, but also understand 
that when we acknowledge that we are then teaching present and future 
generations of the events of yesteryear. As we move to educate today's 
generation about these lessons, we also express to them what we have 
learned.
  To deny that a genocide occurred places a black mark on the values 
that our great Nation stands and fights for. I am proud to be a 
cosponsor, of course, of responsible legislation that brings the 
tragedies in Armenia's history out of the shadows and into the light.
  House Resolution 155, the U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide 
Resolution, directs the President to provide a complete collection of 
all United States records related to the Armenian genocide to document 
and affirm the United States record of protest in recognition of this 
crime against humanity.
  House Resolution 398, the U.S. Training on and Commemoration of the 
Armenian Genocide Resolution would affirm the U.S. record on the 
genocide and would very importantly educate others about the atrocities 
committed and the lessons we can learn from this tragedy against the 
people of Armenia. These are but two important steps we in the Congress 
can immediately take today.
  I urge my colleagues to support these efforts to pass these bills.
  In closing, I want to pay tribute to all of my colleagues that come 
to the floor every year on this. For those of my colleagues that are 
tuned into C-SPAN, Republicans, Democrats of all backgrounds from 
different States, communities across our Nation who recognize what took 
place, and come to the floor in humble tribute to those that gave their 
lives.
  But it is up to us that really are entrusted with the life and the 
well-being of our Nation. Yes, to acknowledge and to pay tribute and to 
say how important this is. But as we do, understand that we do it for 
the enlightenment of our young people and to remind ourselves that 
wherever anything like this raises its head around the globe that we, 
as Members of the United States Congress, and as citizens of this great 
Nation, that we will give voice to that.
  So I pay tribute to all of my colleagues. Those people who are 
resting in peace, perhaps where they are looking from are smiling and 
saying thank you to Members of the Congress for recognizing this. It is 
a sad time, but the recognition is well deserved.

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