Peter Blute: “Mr. Chairman, tonight I rise to offer my strong support for this important amendment that is before us here today. The…”

“Mr. Chairman, tonight I rise to offer my strong support for this important amendment that is before us here today. The amendment we will vote on recognizes the Armenian genocide by simply reducing the amount of economic aid available to Turkey until they acknowledge the horrible events that occurred during the Armenian genocide. Mr. Chairman, those of us who are offering this amendment know full well that Turkey is a strong ally and a strategic ally of the United States, but the $3 million reduced represents a minimal amount of aid. Turkey will still be eligible to receive $22 million overall. It certainly does not in any way restrict the President in the conduct of our foreign policy, and it does not place Turkey at an economic disadvantage. Furthermore, it does not touch one penny of military aid. What it does do, Mr. Chairman, is link economic aid to Turkey's willingness to confront its history and acknowledge the Armenian genocide as a terrible event in the history of the Ottoman Empire that should not be brushed aside cavalierly. Consistently and unfortunately, our ally, Turkey, has neglected to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. I recognize that this is a difficult issue, political issue, in Turkey. However, the genocide of 1.5 million innocent people deserves recognition by this House of Representatives. No one today denies the Holocaust of Eastern Europe; at least no one worthy of our attention or respect.”