Jim Costa: “On April 24, throughout the country and throughout the world, Armenians recognized the Armenian genocide that took place…”

“On April 24, throughout the country and throughout the world, Armenians recognized the Armenian genocide that took place from 1915 to 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. I stand here today to confront it, empowered by facts, and determined that we never, ever forget the Armenian genocide, the first genocide that took place in the 20th century. Obviously, the Holocaust was to follow later on. It is a dark history, but we should never, ever forget our history. Azerbaijan's President Aliyev, much like Putin of Russia, has led an ethnic cleansing and weaponized starvation against Armenians still today, notwithstanding the Minsk agreements that he has violated. Over 120,000 Armenians in the last 2 years have been driven out of their homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise known as Artsakh. Many of them are still today imprisoned and abused, and Azerbaijan must be held accountable. We cannot remain silent. I have joined my colleagues in urging Secretary Marco Rubio to enforce section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, demanding an end to United States military assistance to the Nation of Azerbaijan. They do not need it. They have violated the peace agreement of Minsk. America must make it clear: We stand together in unity and continue to tell stories of the past to ensure future generations never forget. ____________________”