CONGRESSIONAL LETTER CALLING ON

[French]

Armenian National Committee of America

888 17th St., NW, Suite 904

Washington, DC 20006

Tel: (202) 775-1918

Fax: (202) 775-5648

E-mail: anca@anca.org

Internet: www.anca.org

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2005

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian

Tel: (202) 775-1918

SUPPORT GROWS FOR CONGRESSIONAL LETTER CALLING ON

PRES. BUSH TO PROPERLY COMMEMORATE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

-- Over 90 Representatives Co-Sign Letter as

Community Continues Nationwide Advocacy campaign

WASHINGTON, DC ~V Bipartisan efforts to urge President Bush to keep

his 2000 campaign pledge to properly characterize the Armenian

Genocide as "genocide" continued to grow this week, with over 90

U.S. Representatives having cosigned a Congressional letter to the

White House, reported the Armenian National Committee of America

(ANCA).

Initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone

(D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the letter calls on President

Bush to join House members "in reaffirming the United States record

on the Armenian Genocide" in his annual April 24th commemorative

statement. "By properly recognizing the terrible atrocities

committed against the Armenian people as 'genocide' in your

statement, you will honor the many Americans who helped launch the

unprecedented U.S. diplomatic, political and humanitarian campaign

to end the carnage and protect the survivors."

Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Knollenberg

as co-signers of the letter, as of Friday, March 25th, include:

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME),

Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Bass (R-NH),

Melissa Bean (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA),

Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY),

Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mary Bono (R-CA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Ken

Calvert (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Benjamin

Cardin (D-MD), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim

Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Susan

Davis (D-CA), William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), David

Dreier (R-CA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley

(R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott

Garrett (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush

Holt (D-NJ), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve Israel (D-NY), Stephanie

Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Dale

Kildee (D-MI), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH),

James Langevin (D-RI), John Larson (D-CT), Sander Levin (D-MI),

John Lewis (D-GA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),

Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA),

Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Jim McDermott

(D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin

Meehan (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Candice Miller (R-MI),

George Miller (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes

Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Collin

Peterson (D-MN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ),

Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA), Linda Sanchez

(D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), H. James Saxton (R-NJ), Adam Schiff

(D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL), Christopher Shays

(R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Christopher Smith

(R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), John Sweeney (R-NY), Edolphus Towns (D-

NY), Mark Udall (D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter

Visclosky (D-IN), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry

Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Lynn

Woolsey (D-CA).

Over the past weeks, in statements on the House floor, a number of

House Members have already spoken out about the importance clear

and unambiguous U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide,

including Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone and Reps. Michael

Bilirakis, Barney Frank, Patrick Kennedy, James Langevin, and

George Radanovich.

Support for the letter is expected to grow considerably, as the

Armenian American community continues its grassroots campaign to

urge legislators to become signatories. The ANCA launched a WebFax

campaign last week, which, in addition to calling on House Members

to cosign this letter, urges activists to appeal directly to

President Bush on this key issue.