Joseph Knollenberg: “as a Republican cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I come to the floor on this very special and…”

“as a Republican cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I come to the floor on this very special and important day to join my colleagues and individuals around the world in commemorating the 87th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. We must never forget the tragedy of the Armenian genocide, and this commemoration makes an important contribution to making sure that we never do. I would like to commend my colleague and fellow cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), for working with me to help arrange this commemoration, and I appreciate his remarks. Our Caucus is now up to 114 Members, which I believe shows the incredible support Armenia has in the U.S. House of Representatives. We also, of course, wrote a letter, and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) referenced the letter with over 160 signatures that went to the President. When most people hear the word ``genocide,'' they immediately think of Hitler and his persecution of the Jews during World War II. Many individuals are unaware that the first genocide of the 20th century occurred during World War I and was perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people. Concerned that the Armenian people would move to establish their own government, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a reign of terror that resulted in the massacre of over 1.5 million Armenians.”