[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 23, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
             NINETY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Costa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COSTA. I rise today in recognition of the Armenian genocide.
  Tomorrow, April 24, marks the 98th anniversary of the horrific 
Armenian genocide that took place approximately between 1915 and 1923. 
The citations, the history, and the atrocities are well documented. 
They have been recognized by the European parliament and historians 
around the world. Sadly, I believe the United States Congress has not 
gone on record, despite repeated attempts, in recognizing this horrific 
genocide--the first genocide that took place in the 20th century.
  As we all know, history has a way of repeating itself, both for the 
good and for the bad. While the Armenian genocide was the first in the 
20th century that was documented, we all know what took place later 
with the Holocaust and the attempted genocide of the Jewish people. And 
today, throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, we see 
repeated attempts where genocide has been practiced in Africa and in 
other parts of the world.
  It is not enough simply to condemn those actions, but rather as a 
people we must come together and acknowledge that there have been very, 
very difficult and sad times when man's inhumanity to their fellow man 
has taken place. What has occurred at the Holocaust has been documented 
in museums here in the United States and in Israel. The attempt to make 
that similar reflection on the Armenian genocide is still a work in 
progress.
  This week, the Armenian communities throughout America will remind us 
once again that this injustice to mankind should not only be 
acknowledged and documented but should never, ever be forgotten. And 
that's what we will do tomorrow in recognizing the 98th anniversary of 
this Armenian genocide.
  I grew up in a community in the San Joaquin Valley with many 
wonderful Armenian families. As a young boy, I learned about the 
history from our neighbors, my friends. And while, sadly, the Turkish 
Government today is still in denial as to the events that took place 
between 1915 and 1923, I would hope some day, just as the German 
Government and others have recognized the fact that there are parts of 
our history that we would just as soon forget or overlook, we know that 
if we recognize them, we have greater assurances that they will not 
repeat themselves.
  That's why I rise today to recognize this very sad, sad event that 
took place in the 20th century. I think we reach out to all the 
Armenian communities not only in the United States but throughout the 
world and stand with them in realizing that their suffering, their 
pain, and the loss of some 1 million-plus Armenians has been all of our 
collective loss.
  I want to close by saying that tomorrow we recognize the 98th 
anniversary. We continue to urge our fellow Members of Congress to 
recognize that we should go on record, in my view, just as we have gone 
on record on numerous other important events that have taken place in 
our Nation's history and in world history. I think tomorrow all 
Americans will stand with our Armenian Americans and Armenians 
throughout the world in recognizing that, in fact, this genocide did 
take place; and our thoughts and hearts and prayers go with those who 
have lost their lives.

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