[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8552-H8558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 296, AFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES 
                    RECORD ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 655 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 655

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order without intervention of any point of order to 
     consider in the House the resolution (H. Res. 296) affirming 
     the United States record on the Armenian Genocide. The 
     resolution shall be considered as read. The previous question 
     shall be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble 
     to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division 
     of the question except one hour of debate equally divided and 
     controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Massachusetts is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose 
of debate only.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Rules Committee met and 
reported a rule, House Resolution 655, providing for consideration of 
H. Res. 296 under a closed rule.
  This resolution also provides 1 hour of general debate controlled by 
the Chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, this rule is about U.S. leadership, standing for human 
rights, and whether we are going to turn a blind eye to atrocities, 
even if they took place 100 years ago.
  H. Res. 296 is a resolution formally recognizing and memorializing 
the Armenian genocide. And let me say, it is about time. 1.5 million 
Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the emerging 
Nation of Turkey over a century ago. Tens of thousands of Armenians 
were violently expelled from their ancestral homelands.
  These truths are important. Acknowledging them is important. Yet, the 
United States has only tinkered around the edges of recognizing this 
reality. Some of our Nation's closest allies already have--31 nations, 
in fact--countries like Canada, Italy, France, Poland, Sweden, Germany, 
even Russia have recognized this genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, here is a map of those nations, and you can tell that 
the

[[Page H8553]]

United States stands out; and I say that with great sadness.
  White House statements and Congressional resolutions over the years 
have referred to mass atrocities and other euphemisms; but nothing in 
recent times has fully recognized it by calling it what it actually 
was, a genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to speak the truth. Forty-nine of our 50 States 
have formally recognized the Armenian genocide, but the Federal 
Government has not.
  This is a dark stain on our human rights record. The United States 
should stand foursquare for human rights. Anything short of that sends 
exactly the wrong message to abusers around the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent a congressional district in central 
Massachusetts. It is home to the oldest Armenian community in America. 
The first Armenian orthodox church in America was built in Worcester, 
Massachusetts, my hometown. People still worship in it today.
  When I was first elected in 1996, we had rows and rows of pews filled 
with survivors of the Armenian genocide sitting at the front of the 
church during our annual April remembrance of the Armenian genocide. 
Sadly, almost 2 years ago, the last of our survivors, Rose, passed 
away.
  I have learned so much from this community. And to those who insist 
that now is not the time for us to recognize the Armenian genocide; I 
have to ask in return, when will it be the right time? When the very 
last survivor of the genocide has passed away?
  Those who want the world to forget, those who want to deny genocide, 
they believe that history will be erased with the last eyewitness to 
genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I must be honest. As many political leaders have 
proclaimed ``never again'' over the years, the Armenian American 
community has been left to wonder when ``never again'' would finally 
become ``enough is enough.''

                              {time}  1245

  With this resolution, the United States will join the ranks of the 
many nations, parliaments, and institutions that have fully recognized 
and commemorated the Armenian genocide. We will speak out clearly in 
favor of human rights. Finally, we will say loud and clear that enough 
is enough.
  Mr. Speaker, as we acknowledge this genocide from 100 years ago, I am 
glad this House is separately considering H.R. 4695 on suspension this 
week. This bill recognizes the blood that is being spilled today in 
northern Syria. Because of Turkey's ruthless aggression, hundreds of 
civilians have been killed. Thousands more have been displaced.
  Erdogan's government has targeted the Kurds, one of our strongest and 
most courageous allies in the fight against ISIS. What is going on 
there can only be described as ethnic cleansing.
  Instead of standing up for the people who have fought alongside U.S. 
troops in Syria, President Trump gave Turkey the green light to try and 
wipe the Kurds off the map. The President even complimented President 
Erdogan, calling him a friend, a tough man, a hell of a leader.
  Just last week, 9 days after the President first announced sanctions 
against Turkey, he unilaterally lifted all the sanctions against 
Turkey--9 days. Are you kidding me?
  Never in my life did I think I would see the day when a President of 
the United States would pave the way for a nation to systematically 
slaughter our allies, remove sanctions from a country engaging in 
ethnic cleansing without holding anyone to account, or put U.S. troops 
stationed abroad in harm's way all while giving Russia not only a PR 
victory but control over territory that just days before had been safe, 
secure, and free from the control of ISIS terrorists and Assad's 
murderous regime.
  Standing up for human rights is not a Democratic or Republican issue; 
it is an American issue. Even in an age of heightened partisanship, 
this Congress must still be capable of speaking with one voice against 
genocide and crimes against humanity, no matter when they took place. I 
urge all of my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying 
resolution so we can show the world that we still are.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern for yielding me the 
customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today, we consider a resolution to once again assert the 
position of the House of Representatives with respect to the Armenian 
genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923. This resolution cites 
previous United States recognition of the killing of Armenians, 
including in 1951, 1975, 1981, and 1984.
  Numerous resolutions have been introduced in the House and Senate 
that did not pass both Chambers. In addition, Congress has twice 
designated April 24 as a National Day of Remembrance of Man's 
Inhumanity to Man, specifically referencing Armenia. The United States 
has clearly indicated its support to the Armenians.
  While there is historic precedent for recognizing the Armenian 
genocide, passing such a resolution today could complicate the 
situation with a NATO ally. Previously, this has resulted in protests 
at and around the Incirlik Air Base that have affected our men and 
women in uniform who were stationed there.
  While the desire to recognize the Armenian genocide is laudable, 
these events took place over 100 years ago. It remains unclear why we 
are urgently considering this resolution. The Committee on Foreign 
Affairs did not conduct a hearing or hold a markup before we voted last 
night in the Rules Committee to bring this to the floor today. 
Representative Schiff introduced this resolution on April 8 of this 
year, 2019, so we are left to wonder why we wait until there are 11 
legislative days until expiration of the continuing resolution to fund 
the entirety of the Government of the United States on the 
discretionary side, why we are willing to suspend that to consider a 
nonbinding resolution.
  Democrats continue to bring to the floor legislation that is either 
not urgent or has no chance of passing the Senate and becoming law. 
There are bipartisan policy areas in which Republicans stand ready to 
work with Democrats for the benefit of the American people. The most 
pressing issue, of course, is the continuing resolution expiration.
  While the House did pass 10 of the 12 appropriations bills, they were 
constructed largely without Republican input on the Appropriations 
Committee, resulting in highly partisan provisions that actually 
prevented any Republicans from being able to support these bills when 
they came to the floor.
  One of the most important appropriations bills providing funding for 
the Department of Homeland Security has not received consideration by 
the full House. We are facing a humanitarian and security crisis at our 
southern border. That is real. That is right now. This situation got so 
bad in early summer that Congress had to pass a supplemental 
appropriations bill to last year's appropriation just to provide the 
basic necessities for those in the Customs and Border Protection 
custody. While this temporary funding influx helped alleviate a number 
of people in our border facilities and the Office of Refugee 
Resettlement shelters, it did not make any policy changes that would 
actually address the root cause of this crisis.
  If Democrats are unwilling to provide funding to secure our border, 
we should consider disincentivizing people from making the dangerous 
journey in the first place. There are people who die along the way. 
Others are seriously injured or become ill. Still others become victims 
of human trafficking.
  Additionally, the cartels are profiting big time off of these 
vulnerable individuals, taking a cut from two-thirds of southern border 
flows. The penalty for not paying off the cartel is death. Rather than 
incentivize this type of activity, could we not focus our efforts on 
combating the drivers of irregular migration from El Salvador, 
Guatemala, and Honduras? We can also send a message that if you come to 
the United States without legal documentation, you will not be 
permitted to remain herein definitely.

  To change this, Congress could pass a bill to reform our asylum laws 
and provide more resources to clear the backlog of immigration cases, a 
backlog that is approaching 1 million cases.

[[Page H8554]]

  Another area where Congress could be spending our valuable time is 
discussing solutions for the cost of prescriptions and pharmaceuticals. 
There is bipartisan consensus that we could cap out-of-pocket costs for 
our seniors in Medicare part D. This is a policy that we can and should 
draft together. In fact, we had a bipartisan Committee on Energy and 
Commerce and Committee on Ways and Means request for information on the 
topic of restructuring part D last May.
  If we work together in a thoughtful, bipartisan, bicameral manner on 
restructuring the part D benefit, the President would sign that 
legislation. He has even said that is a top priority. And our 
constituents would see lower out-of-pocket drug costs.
  But what do we get? We get H.R. 3, Speaker Pelosi's partisan drug 
pricing bill, which sidelines achievable drug pricing policies that 
were in the works prior to the release of H.R. 3.
  Additionally, last week marked the 1-year anniversary of President 
Trump's signing the SUPPORT Act into law. This legislation provides 
realistic solutions that span the breadth of the opiate crisis, from 
prevention and treatment to education and enforcement. This legislation 
will improve treatment for those with substance use disorders, fight 
deadly fentanyl, bolster the efforts of our agents at the international 
mail facilities, and provide vital resources for new and innovative 
alternatives for the treatment of pain. In a time when our country 
seems so divided, Congress was able to put political differences aside 
and put patients first to find solutions to address this crisis.
  As it stands now, the SUPPORT Act is another tool in the toolbox for 
communities and Federal agencies to successfully combat the opioid 
epidemic. We could be having discussions on how to build on that 
success and ensure timely and effective implementation of the SUPPORT 
Act so we could continue to help those affected by the more than 130 
American overdose deaths each and every day. Instead, we are spending 
our time considering a nonurgent, nonbinding resolution.
  American consumers are concerned about their online privacy. The 
passage of California's Consumer Privacy Act has led to a patchwork of 
State privacy laws that do not reflect the reality that the internet 
doesn't know State lines.
  We need one national standard, perhaps consider Federal preemption, 
and promote a cross-border data flow as American businesses seek to do 
business at home and abroad. You could even argue that e-commerce is 
the reason that the Founders drafted the Commerce Clause in the first 
place.
  Again, Republicans stand ready to work with Democrats, but we have 
not been invited to engage in any substantive discussions.
  Congress also could pass and, in fact, must pass the United States-
Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, the USMCA. This was negotiated to 
replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. This agreement is 
possibly the most impactful policy that Congress could pass this year.
  The administration has negotiated with Canada and Mexico over the 
past 2 years to produce the best trade deal possible. The USMCA 
increases market access for American exports. It levels the playing 
field for the American worker and brings important intellectual 
property protections into the 21st century.
  Millions of jobs and billions of dollars' worth of trade are waiting 
on the passage of this bill. If Speaker Pelosi brought the USMCA to the 
floor today, it would pass before the week was out. Unfortunately, the 
Democratic majority is slow-walking this USMCA and doing harm to our 
Nation's farmers, workers, and small businesses. There is no reason to 
continue to delay a vote on this agreement.
  In addition, securing the USMCA would give the United States 
additional authority with the ongoing negotiations with China.
  Providing full appropriations for the Federal Government, addressing 
the humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border, working to 
lower prescription drug prices and provide continued support to combat 
the opioid epidemic, negotiating a strong Federal privacy law, and 
passing the USMCA are all urgent policy priorities that could receive 
bipartisan support. And yet, we are delaying action on these necessary 
measures to consider a nonurgent, nonbinding resolution that simply 
reaffirms what has remained clear United States policy regarding 
Armenia.
  I hope my fellow Democrats on the Rules Committee and in the House of 
Representatives will soon prioritize legislation that will help the 
American people. I urge opposition to the rule, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  My colleague from Texas talked about a lot of different subjects in 
his opening remarks. I have to say that I am a little bit 
disappointed--well, more than a little bit. I am disappointed and 
somewhat offended at the implication that this is not an important 
matter.
  Let me remind him that 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of the 
Ottoman Empire and the emerging nation of Turkey. Let me remind him of 
the countless hundreds of thousands of people who had to flee because 
of that oppression. Let me also remind him that it is not the official 
policy of the United States Government. If it were, that map that I 
showed you would have included us as a nation formally recognizing the 
Armenian genocide.
  My friend may not think it is important, but as somebody who cares 
deeply about human rights, it is important that we respect historical 
accuracy and that we respect the truth.
  I don't know if the gentleman was in the Rules Committee last night 
when our colleague from California, Anna Eshoo, movingly and tearfully 
talked about her family's experiences during that time, when she lost 
ancestors and her parents came to the United States to try to have a 
better life. But I don't know how we can just kind of brush this off as 
not a big deal.
  It is a big deal. It is a big deal to Armenian Americans, and it is a 
big deal to anybody who cares about human rights in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Shalala), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

                              {time}  1300

  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the resolution affirming the United 
States' record on the Armenian genocide. This resolution is long 
overdue on the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians and thousands of 
Maronites, Chaldeans, Amalekites, Assyrians, and others who were part 
of the Ottoman Empire.
  Mr. Speaker, my grandparents left the Ottoman Empire to escape that 
genocide just ahead, but their relatives were not as lucky. My 
grandparents were Maronites.
  I remember my grandmother's tears as she spoke of their Armenian 
friends and the many Maronites and Amalekites who were slaughtered by 
the Ottoman Empire.
  As a child, I remember the tears and the suffering of our Armenian 
neighbors and the many members of the other communities whose tears I 
could not erase.
  As a child, I could not erase those tears, but for them, I proudly 
support this resolution.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman), who has been a leader on this issue for many 
years.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, after decades of struggle, this House will 
recognize the Armenian genocide just in time for it to be seen by the 
last few survivors of the first genocide of the 20th century.
  We should have recognized that genocide again and again long ago, but 
we didn't because we were told that we had a great alliance with 
Turkey.
  Earlier this month, Turkish forces shelled near and deliberately 
bracketed American bases. Americans fled in unseemly haste. Great ally.
  It has been a great alliance for Turkey. We defended them from 
communism in the 1940s, defended them from the Soviet Union for 
decades, and provided them with $23 billion in aid.
  It is critical that we counteract Turkey's genocide denial, because 
genocide denial is the last act of a genocide--first you obliterate a 
people, then you seek to obliterate their memory, and

[[Page H8555]]

finally you seek to obliterate the memory of the obliteration--and 
because genocide denial is also the first step in the next genocide.
  When Hitler's cadres wondered if they could get away with the 
Holocaust, he was able to assure them: Who, after all, speaks today of 
the annihilation of the Armenians?
  We must recognize this genocide to remove the stain on America's 
honor because, up until now, we have refused to acknowledge truth and 
we have been silent, all in an effort at appeasement.
  The fact is that many other countries have recognized the genocide, 
including Belgium, Canada, Greece, Italy, Argentina, and Germany. And 
when France had the courage to pass a genocide recognition resolution, 
they were threatened with a boycott of all their exports. In fact, what 
happened was a fourfold increase in French exports to Turkey.
  The only thing worse than unnecessary appeasement is appeasing a 
power that will not actually respond.
  Today, Germany is a great and prosperous democracy, a great ally of 
the United States. Where would Germany be if, to this day, they denied 
the Holocaust?
  Turkey will be a great ally of the United States and a prosperous and 
modern nation only when Turkey recognizes the first genocide of the 
20th century.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman for bringing up this rule and 
for answering the question why this is so important to do this today.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Judy Chu).
  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, I have just returned from 
Armenia, where I went to the Armenian Genocide Museum. I cannot get the 
pictures that I saw out of my mind: Armenian women and children 
murdered in mass graves, Armenian leaders hung as examples to others, 
Armenians forced onto long death marches without food or water.
  There were 1.5 million Armenians killed in this genocide in 1915. I 
saw the documents of the many who had witnessed it, including U.S. 
diplomat Henry Morgenthau, and yet over 100 years later, the U.S. has 
never officially acknowledged it.
  This vote to finally acknowledge the Armenian genocide should have 
come sooner, because of people in my district like Joseph ``Bebo'' 
Manjikian. When I met him, he was 104, but from his wheelchair, he told 
me about the many family members he lost in the genocide. Bebo passed 
away before he could see this day. He didn't forget them, and neither 
can we.
  Mr. Speaker, for the sake of Bebo and so many others, I urge my 
colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on 
Armenian Issues.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern for bringing this rule 
up today, and I rise in support of the rule to bring up the Armenian 
genocide resolution.
  As Judy Chu said--and I just came back from Armenia at the same 
time--we were at the genocide memorial in Yerevan. I was actually there 
a few years ago, on the 100th anniversary of the genocide, with our two 
Armenian Members of Congress, Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier.
  I have to say, it was unfortunate for us. We were proud to be there 
for the 100th commemoration, but we still were very upset over the fact 
that the United States had not recognized the Armenian genocide in 
recent years. And, of course, this has been a goal of the Armenia 
caucus and the Armenia diaspora for over 30 years that this day, this 
historic day, would finally occur.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who has made this day possible.
  This resolution is important. It commemorates the victims of the 
Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks over 104 years 
after it took place.
  For too long, Congress has failed to recognize the indisputable fact 
that the Ottoman Turks perpetrated the first genocide of the 20th 
century. This crime against humanity would serve as the blueprint for 
other genocides in the Nazi concentration camps and massacres in 
Poland, Germany, and eastern Europe and, more recently, in Bosnia and 
Rwanda.
  Today, we will finally acknowledge what historians have documented 
with clear evidence: that the Turkish campaign of slaughter and forced 
displacement of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and other 
religious minorities was, in fact, a genocide.
  The passage of this resolution is an important step in raising 
awareness and showing the world that we have a commitment to human 
rights and the dignity of every human life.
  In the words of George Santayana: ``Those who cannot remember the 
past are condemned to repeat it.''
  We stand today to show that the House of Representatives will not be 
complicit in covering up past atrocities in the 20th century nor turn 
our back when ethnic or religious minorities are threatened in the 21st 
century.
  We must also urge Turkey to come to terms with its own history and 
look beyond the thinly veiled facade of denial that covered up one of 
the most horrific crimes in world history.
  We must urge Turkey to join the rest of the world in recognizing the 
sanctity of human life, even if it is someone who doesn't look like 
you, speaks a different language, or attends a different house of 
worship.
  Turkey has a long history of repressing ethnic minorities, including 
the Kurds, whom they are killing as we speak. And it doesn't matter 
whether they are Christians or Muslims; many of the Kurds are their 
Muslim brethren.
  I am also a strong supporter of the bipartisan Turkey sanctions bill 
that will also be considered this week.
  It is unfortunate that it took the abandonment of our allies in 
northern Syria to get to this point, but I am pleased to see that we 
are working across the aisle to finally push back against the bully 
that is President Erdogan.
  We cannot trust the Turkish, Russian, or Syrian Governments to uphold 
peace and protect innocent lives in the region. We must stand up to 
authoritarian leaders like Erdogan, Putin, and Assad to defend our 
regional partners and innocent lives.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for bringing up this 
rule. I want to thank Chairman Schiff, the sponsor of this resolution; 
Chairman Engel; the House leadership; and other members of the 
congressional caucus for their support of strong American leadership 
and for their work to finally get this passed.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, Republicans will 
amend the rule to suspend the ongoing impeachment inquiry until we 
achieve operational control of our southern border.
  As I previously stated, we are experiencing a humanitarian and 
security crisis on the southern border. In August, Customs and Border 
Protection apprehended over 64,000 individuals who lacked legal 
documentation to enter this country. Apprehensions are on track to 
reach over 1 million individuals attempting to cross into the United 
States along our southern border this fiscal year.

  The House should prioritize securing our southern border and stemming 
the flow of irregular migration over a politically motivated 
impeachment inquiry. Until operation of the border control is achieved, 
the House should suspend the impeachment inquiry.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my 
amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately 
prior to the vote on the previous question.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I have to say to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) 
that, again, it is frustrating to hear his comments. I mean, we are 
talking about a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide; 1.5 
million people

[[Page H8556]]

were murdered. I think it is generally a bipartisan resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend not only Chairman Engel and Chairman 
Smith, who is a Republican, for their testimony before the Rules 
Committee; I want to thank Congressman Schiff, who is the main author 
of this; but our colleague in the Rules Committee, Congresswoman Lesko, 
came out very strongly in favor of this resolution.
  It would be nice if there were a couple of moments here that didn't 
always have to be politicized, and I think this resolution should be 
one of those moments.
  This is important; this is serious; and we shouldn't bring politics 
into a resolution dealing with the recognition of a genocide. So I 
obviously have a different opinion on how people should vote on the 
previous question.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Sanchez).
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this 
resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide.
  This tragedy is one of the most painful moments in our world's 
history. We owe it to the more than 2 million victims and their 
decendents never to forget.
  It is heartbreaking that some choose to deny our past rather than to 
learn from this painful moment in history. It is an insult to millions 
who died and the millions who risked their lives to escape violence.
  Denial is all too easy. It is harder to face the truth, and facing 
the truth is the right thing to do.
  When we rewrite the darkest chapters of our history, we open the door 
to them happening again. The United States cannot be complicit in that 
denial.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to send a resounding message to the 
world that we stand with the Armenian community: We will not forget; we 
will not obscure.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just point out that this Congress has acted on 
this in the past. H.J. Res. 148 passed in the 94th Congress. A joint 
resolution to designate April 24, 1975, as a National Day of 
Remembrance of Man's Inhumanity to Man passed the House April 8, 1975.
  And then again, H.J. Res. 247 from the 98th Congress, a joint 
resolution to designate April 24 as a National Day of Remembrance of 
Man's Inhumanity to Man, passed the House 10 September 1984.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again, it really is frustrating to hear my colleague try 
and dismiss this. There has not been a resolution calling this a 
genocide and outlining all the facts before.
  Mr. Speaker, I would again urge my colleagues, in a bipartisan way, 
to support the underlying bill and to reject any attempts to try to 
politicize this process.
  And, again, we do this out of respect for those victims of the 
genocide, for its survivors, for the Armenian American community, for 
the Armenian community all over the world, and we do it because the 
United States of America is supposed to be committed to a very high 
standard of human rights.

                              {time}  1315

  If we stand for anything, we need to stand out loud and four square 
for human rights.
  To not appropriately acknowledge a genocide only paves the way for 
future thugs, dictators, and authoritarians to commit similar 
atrocities, believing that somehow the United States, the most powerful 
country in the world, will just look the other way.
  I hope that we have strong, bipartisan support on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy, 
and I appreciate his words.
  Mr. Speaker, for years, we have danced around this. It is complex 
with the Turks, in terms of the relationship that we have tried to deal 
with. But denying genocide has not helped resolve those issues. It 
hasn't changed the behavior of the Turks.
  Look at what is happening with the Kurds today. Failure to 
acknowledge this horrific episode is a burden for us all--standing up 
for human rights, acknowledging the truth, giving a sense of closure 
and solace to the people who endured this horrific activity, and making 
sure that we are united in our opposition to those genocidal 
activities.
  Sadly, unless and until the Turks own their history, acknowledge it, 
they are not going to be able to move past it. This is a chapter that 
needs a spotlight shone on it.
  I appreciate this formal acknowledgment by the House of 
Representatives. I think it is a first step toward healing, and it is 
an important step toward preventing tragedies like this in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support it, and I look forward to its 
passage on the floor of the House.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I also would like to point out that the gentleman had 
said that he did not want to see this issue politicized. I would just 
simply note that this resolution could have been brought to the floor 
under suspension of the rules and likely passed with a large bipartisan 
majority under suspension of the rules.
  The difficulty that I have today is that we are spending the time on 
a rule bill for this bill that would have passed under suspension when 
we, in fact, have some pretty important things out there hanging over 
us.
  One of those things, of course, is funding the entire Federal 
Government so we don't end up in another government shutdown, and the 
other is to somehow resolve this question of impeachment that has 
bogged down this body for months, if not years.
  Mr. Speaker, as I previously outlined, there are other important, 
time-sensitive priorities. Once again, we have 11 legislative days 
remaining before the continuing resolution expires. In place of a 
nonurgent, nonbinding resolution, we could be finding a way to ensure 
that our government remains open and that Americans continue to receive 
the Federal benefits, services, and paychecks on which they depend.
  I ask my fellow Democrats to prioritize the needs of the American 
people, and I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question and ``no'' on 
the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The gentleman wonders why we didn't bring this legislation up under 
suspension of the rules. To be honest with you, I think there was a 
concern by Democrats and Republicans on the Foreign Affairs Committee 
that we might not have all the votes that we needed to pass them under 
suspension of the rules.
  Mr. Speaker, the Government of Turkey employs very well-paid 
lobbyists here in Washington, and they have been working quite 
diligently trying to defeat this. So I hope we have a vote that is 
overwhelming, but we don't know.
  Secondly, I don't know why the gentleman would object to bringing 
this up under a rule. It gives more time for Members on both sides of 
the aisle to be able to speak on this, and a lot of Members do. We had 
a lot of Democrats on our side who wanted to speak. We have others who 
are going to speak when the underlying bill comes up. So I don't quite 
get it.
  Let me say, again, for the Record, this is not the official policy of 
the United States. If it was, President Trump would publicly 
acknowledge the Armenian genocide.
  By the way, I am not picking on President Trump. The same could be 
said for President Obama. I can go right down the list of Presidents.
  The deal is, this is not the official policy. If it was, we wouldn't 
be here.
  It really is somewhat disappointing that the gentleman doesn't quite 
appreciate how impactful this is and how important it is.
  Mr. Speaker, the horrors of human rights abuses can be mind-numbing, 
whether they occurred 100 years ago, like the Armenian genocide, or are 
happening today in Syria at the hands of Erdogan's government.
  I get it. It is easier to turn away than to see the impact of 
brutality, the loss

[[Page H8557]]

of life, the maiming of civilians, including children, in the 
devastated communities. It can turn your stomach and break your heart, 
but we must not lose our capacity for outrage. That 1.5 million 
Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in the emerging 
nation of Turkey should outrage all of us.
  Formally recognizing this genocide is the right thing to do. I wish 
we took this step long ago, but it is always the right time to do the 
right thing.
  I urge my colleagues: Let's speak with one voice. Let's join some of 
our closest allies in recognizing the Armenian genocide. Let's finally 
remove this dark stain on the record of the United States of America.
  I say this all the time: The core of our being as a nation should be 
upholding a high standard of human rights. We should always be counted 
on to speak out when people's human rights are being denied. We 
certainly should be counted on to adhere to historical accuracy.
  This happened, and it is time that it become the official policy of 
the United States of America to recognize that it did happen and call 
it for what it was, and it was a genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous 
question, vote ``yes'' on the rule, and vote ``yes'' on the underlying 
bill.
  The material previously referred to by Mr. Burgess is as follows:

                   Amendment to House Resolution 655

       At the end of the resolution, add the following:
       Sec. 2. Upon adoption of this resolution, the Committees on 
     the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Financial Services, Oversight 
     and Reform, and Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Select 
     Committee on Intelligence shall suspend pursuing matters 
     referred to by the Speaker in her announcement of September 
     24, 2019, until such time as the United States achieves 
     operational control of the southern border.

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on ordering the previous question on House Resolution 655 
will be followed by 5-minute votes on:
  Adoption of House Resolution 655, if ordered;
  Ordering the previous question on House Resolution 656; and
  Adoption of House Resolution 656, if ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 224, 
nays 189, not voting 18, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 587]

                               YEAS--224

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allred
     Amash
     Axne
     Barragan
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brindisi
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carson (IN)
     Case
     Casten (IL)
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Cox (CA)
     Craig
     Crist
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Cunningham
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny K.
     Dean
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Delgado
     Demings
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Engel
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Finkenauer
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Frankel
     Fudge
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Golden
     Gomez
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Grijalva
     Haaland
     Harder (CA)
     Hastings
     Hayes
     Heck
     Higgins (NY)
     Himes
     Horn, Kendra S.
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (TX)
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Lamb
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Levin (CA)
     Levin (MI)
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Luria
     Lynch
     Malinowski
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Matsui
     McAdams
     McBath
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Moore
     Morelle
     Mucarsel-Powell
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Norcross
     O'Halleran
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Porter
     Pressley
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Rice (NY)
     Richmond
     Rose (NY)
     Rouda
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sewell (AL)
     Shalala
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Sires
     Slotkin
     Smith (WA)
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Speier
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres Small (NM)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Underwood
     Van Drew
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Welch
     Wexton
     Wild
     Wilson (FL)
     Yarmuth

                               NAYS--189

     Abraham
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Bergman
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (NC)
     Bishop (UT)
     Bost
     Brady
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carter (GA)
     Chabot
     Cheney
     Cline
     Cloud
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Comer
     Conaway
     Cook
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Curtis
     Davidson (OH)
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Emmer
     Estes
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foxx (NC)
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gianforte
     Gibbs
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (OH)
     Gooden
     Gosar
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hagedorn
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hern, Kevin
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins (LA)
     Hill (AR)
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Katko
     Keller
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Kustoff (TN)
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Latta
     Lesko
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Marshall
     Massie
     Mast
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKinley
     Meadows
     Meuser
     Miller
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Mullin
     Murphy (NC)
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Nunes
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Palmer
     Pence
     Perry
     Posey
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reschenthaler
     Rice (SC)
     Riggleman
     Roby
     Rodgers (WA)
     Roe, David P.
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rooney (FL)
     Rose, John W.
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rutherford
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Shimkus
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spano
     Stauber
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Taylor
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tipton
     Turner
     Upton
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Waltz
     Watkins
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yoho
     Young
     Zeldin

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Bass
     Beatty
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Davis, Rodney
     Gabbard
     Hice (GA)
     Hill (CA)
     Huffman
     Long
     Marchant
     McEachin
     Moulton
     Ryan
     Thompson (CA)
     Timmons
     Williams
     Wright

                              {time}  1352

  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 223, 
nays 191, not voting 17, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 588]

                               YEAS--223

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allred
     Amash
     Axne
     Barragan
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brindisi
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carson (IN)
     Case
     Casten (IL)
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Cox (CA)
     Craig
     Crist
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Cunningham
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny K.
     Dean
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Delgado
     Demings
     DeSaulnier

[[Page H8558]]


     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Engel
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Finkenauer
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Frankel
     Fudge
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Golden
     Gomez
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Grijalva
     Haaland
     Harder (CA)
     Hastings
     Hayes
     Heck
     Higgins (NY)
     Himes
     Horn, Kendra S.
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (TX)
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Lamb
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Levin (CA)
     Levin (MI)
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Luria
     Lynch
     Malinowski
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Matsui
     McAdams
     McBath
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Moore
     Morelle
     Mucarsel-Powell
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Norcross
     O'Halleran
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Porter
     Pressley
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Rice (NY)
     Richmond
     Rose (NY)
     Rouda
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sewell (AL)
     Shalala
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Sires
     Slotkin
     Smith (WA)
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Speier
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres Small (NM)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Underwood
     Van Drew
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Welch
     Wexton
     Wild
     Wilson (FL)
     Yarmuth

                               NAYS--191

     Abraham
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Bergman
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (NC)
     Bishop (UT)
     Bost
     Brady
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carter (GA)
     Chabot
     Cheney
     Cline
     Cloud
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Comer
     Conaway
     Cook
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Curtis
     Davidson (OH)
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Emmer
     Estes
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foxx (NC)
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gianforte
     Gibbs
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (OH)
     Gooden
     Gosar
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hagedorn
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hern, Kevin
     Herrera Beutler
     Higgins (LA)
     Hill (AR)
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Katko
     Keller
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Kustoff (TN)
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Latta
     Lesko
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Marshall
     Massie
     Mast
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKinley
     Meadows
     Meuser
     Miller
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Mullin
     Murphy (NC)
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Nunes
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Palmer
     Pascrell
     Pence
     Perry
     Posey
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reschenthaler
     Rice (SC)
     Riggleman
     Roby
     Rodgers (WA)
     Roe, David P.
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rooney (FL)
     Rose, John W.
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rutherford
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Shimkus
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spano
     Stauber
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Taylor
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tipton
     Turner
     Upton
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Waltz
     Watkins
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yoho
     Young
     Zeldin

                             NOT VOTING--17

     Bass
     Beatty
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Davis, Rodney
     Gabbard
     Hice (GA)
     Hill (CA)
     Huffman
     Marchant
     McEachin
     Moulton
     Ryan
     Thompson (CA)
     Timmons
     Williams
     Wright

                              {time}  1401

  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________