Momentum for Armenian genocide measure is fading

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the resolution’s main sponsor, won’t insist on a vote until he’s certain he has enough support for it to pass, an aide said Monday. There are no plans to bring the measure to the House floor anytime soon, a Democratic leadership aide said Monday.

The resolution has only 137 co-sponsors. That’s well below the 212 who were still signed on to an identical resolution in 2007 even after a similar opposition campaign reduced the number of its supporters and kept it from the House floor.

The dwindling momentum for the contentious measure comes just days after the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the resolution on a 23-22 vote, a tighter margin than the 27-21 vote at committee in 2007. Shortly after its approval last week, reports surfaced that Democratic House leaders had agreed to White House demands to keep the resolution off the floor.

A Democratic official is not aware of any agreement made with the Obama administration to keep the resolution off the floor.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/85571-momentum-for-armenian-genocide-measure-is-fading

[Kolesar]

1. How are the Cherokee and the Apache doing these days?

How about a resolution condemning Britain and the US for the slave trade?
Has it ever been determined that the war on Mexico was a legal or illegal war??

[Behind the Aegis]

2. How are the victims of hound training doing?

[Kolesar]

3. ?

[HeresyLives]

4. Good, I hope this gets dumped.

It's an unnecessary and dangerous thing to do.

And really...nothing that Schiff or congress has any business pronouncing on anyway.

[PATRICK]

5. What WAS this all about??

A lot of political capital was blown on this very energetic ancient history cherry picking about a NATO ally with incredibly dirty and dangerous ties to a nuclear arms black market involving many US pols and businessmen. It has the ordinary citizen, except Armenians scratching their heads, and the glass house manufacturers puzzled.

It has to be about money, I suppose, but if coming from Armenians who are supposedly ruthless about investments, there must have been some powerful strings attached. And it still fizzled. Why this particular futile exercise?

I think better answers might be in thew archives when this legislation first surfaced unbelievably from our lackluster on every other front Dem Congress.

[Kurska]

7. "coming from Armenians who are supposedly ruthless about investments" Racial stereotypes oh boy!

I heard those Jews are greedy too, oh and Asians are good at math and have buckteeth.

Come on man, you're better then this.

[Codeine]

8. Wow.

I'm amazed by your casual bigotry and stereotyping.

[Rapier09]

6. It isn't up to the US to recognize this

Turkey needs to come forward and acknowledge this.

As for offending a key NATO ally,I'd say NATO is on its last legs.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Perhaps Turkey will move toward that direction and if they do.

I believe NATO will become stronger and eventually Armenia will become a full member.

[No Elephants]

9. Between 2007 and 2010, 75 Reps changed their minds about something that happened in 1915?

I don't think Congress should mess with foreign policy anyway. That really is the executive's job. sure, Congress has to decide what to fund and what not to fund. But funding was not an issue with this Resoluton.

[bemildred]

11. Yeah, we need fewer non-binding resolutions and more effective law.

It's not clear the Congress can even make effective law anymore, let alone that anyone gives a shit about their resolutions.

[No Elephants]

15. Non-binding, yet potentially damaging to foreign policy. Worst combo.

[Kolesar]

17. With ya' 100%...the genocide was before Turkey had a constitutional government...eom

[bemildred]

12. Schiff, BTW is my Congressman, and I will vote against him anytime he has a Democratic challenge. nt

[Raejeanowl]

13. OMG

I can't believe this dead horse is still being flogged. Both camps tried to immobilize the Maryland State legislature with their warring resolutions a decade ago; a number of lawmakers went underground for their own safety, trying to avoid the impassioned grassroots lobbyists.

[No Elephants]

14. The Maryland Legislature should stay out foreign policy, too. It is not for the states or Congress.

Why does everyone feel free to ignore the Constitution? It's really an admirable document.

[karynnj]

18. The states, yes - Congress, no

The Constitution does give the legislative branch oversight on foreign policy, though the executive branch has far more power here. This is not to say that their resolutions are all helpful - just as all administration comments are not. (Take that generically, did you want the Congress silent under Bush on Iraq?)

Whether that particular amendment was reasonable or not, it was within the powers granted by the Constitution and consistent with things done for decades. Are you suggesting that the House and Senate foreign relations committees serve no purpose?

[boppers]

16. I suggest all DU members read up on the topic.

It's messy. REALLY messy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial_of_the_Armenian_Genocide

Good starting points.