Anna Eshoo: “I rise this evening with all of my colleagues that have come to the floor, members of the Armenian Caucus here in the…”

“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 rac{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.”