Speak Out Against Genocide

Floor Speech

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Ms. GABBARD. Madam Speaker, the history of the United States has been intertwined with that of the Armenian people and the Armenian genocide.

It was American missionaries and diplomats who let the world know that the Ottoman Empire was attempting to cleanse itself of the Armenian and Christian populations. The U.S. became home to many survivors.

Their experience inspired Raphael Lemkin to create the term ``genocide,'' only to see his Jewish family suffer the same fate at the hands of Nazi Germany.

The denial of the Armenian genocide has had contemporary consequences. I have visited both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. I saw that a Turkey which denies genocide has no fear of committing it again. In fact, Turkey has begun an ethnic cleansing of the Syrian Kurds in northern Syria.

I have long called for our government to officially recognize the Armenian genocide. I am an original cosponsor of H. Res. 296.

The House has spoken with a clear voice, breaking the silence, recognizing the Armenian genocide. We call on the Senate and President Trump to do the same.

We cannot allow history to repeat itself.

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