Politics 12:36 06/12/2019 Armenia

Senator Cramer blocks Armenian Genocide resolution at White House's request

A Republican lawmaker blocked a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide from being passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on Thursday — the third time a GOP senator has done so since the House passed the legislation by a 405-to-11 vote, NBC News reported. 

The senator, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, was acting at the direction of the White House, said the resolution's Republican co-author, Ted Cruz. 

"Those objections have been raised on behalf of the administration. The administration has asked senators to raise objections," the Texas senator said, calling that position "a mistake."

The resolution "acknowledges the horrific atrocity that was the Armenian genocide, the systematic slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians that for far too long has been covered up, has been hidden, and U.S. policy has not acknowledged," Cruz said.

Cruz's Democratic co-author on the resolution, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, said he was "deeply disappointed" by Cramer's objection — and noted that Cramer had co-sponsored similar legislation on the genocide in the past.

Cramer said on the Senate floor that "I support the spirit of the bill" but "I don't think this is the right time" to pass it because of the Trump administration's current negotiations with Turkey over a range of topics including Syria and missile defense.

"There's never a good time," Menendez said after Cramer's objection. "In my view there's always a right time, however, to recognize genocide as genocide."

The other Republicans who've objected to the bill are Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and David Perdue of Georgia. Graham launched his objection after meeting with President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office.

Cramer issued his objection two days after he announced the Army Corps of Engineers had awarded a $270 million contract to a North Dakota company to work on the border wall. Cramer had repeatedly lobbied Trump to award the contract to the company, Fisher Sand and Gravel.

Cruz said he was optimistic the resolution would pass eventually.

"I think we're going to keep trying. Menendez and I are going to keep coming back. We'll come back again and we’ll come back again and I'm hopeful we will get bipartisan agreement and pass this because it's the right thing," Cruz said. He said he wasn't concerned about Erdogan's threats that the measure's passage would harm U.S. Turkish relations. Cruz noted that 12 other NATO countries have acknowledged the genocide.

"I think Turkey is a NATO ally, and they're an important NATO ally, but that doesn't mean we have to ignore the truth and ignore reality," Cruz said.



Source Panorama.am
Share |

Newsfeed

15:07
Armenian-Russian relations 'in agony', expert says
Hayk Khalatyan, a political analyst at the Verelq Information and Analytical Center, on Saturday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his...
14:32
Powerful Israeli airstrike kills 11 people in central Beirut
A powerful airstrike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Saturday, the Lebanese civil defence said, shaking the capital as Israel pressed its...
14:15
Expert: Armenian-Azeri talks somewhat stalled
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan claims the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks have somewhat stalled amid the change of government in the United...
13:33
Temperatures set to plunge next week
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country next week....
13:06
Magnitude 4․3 quake hits Azerbaijan, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4․3 earthquake struck Azerbaijan on Saturday afternoon. The quake was recorded 42 km northeast of the town of Goris in...
12:35
Opposition MP slams Pashinyan's Western Armenia remarks
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Levon Kocharyan has blasted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks on Western Armenia and Baku’s fake...
12:00
MP Hovik Aghazaryan says decided on his parliament seat
MP Hovik Aghazaryan of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has made a decision on his parliament seat. The deputy has told the media...
11:36
US lawmakers request classified briefing on Turkey’s ties to Hamas
More than three dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to offer a classified briefing on...
11:15
Armenia's Mushegh Mkrtchyan wins bronze at World Military Wrestling Championships
Armenian serviceman Mushegh Mkrtchyan (92 kg) has clinched a bronze medal at the 37th CISM World Military Wrestling Championships in Yerevan,...
11:00
Switzerland bans exports to Polish firm after Swiss-made ammunition ends up in Ukraine
The Swiss government said Friday it is barring exports to a Polish military hardware supplier after concluding that some 645,000 rounds of...
17:12
Armenia to face Georgia in Nations League play-off
The 2024/25 UEFA Nations League knockout stage and play-off ties have been confirmed following the draw in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday....
16:36
Hayk Marutyan agrees to debate with Tigran Avinyan
New Power party leader Hayk Marutyan has agreed to a TV debate with incumbent Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan. Marutyan, a former Yerevan...
15:45
Opposition politician: Pashinyan leading Armenia to 'final collapse'
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration is leading Armenia to the “final collapse” and Turkification, opposition...
15:05
Caretaker deputy justice minister sacked
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed a decree to dismiss Armenuhi Harutyunyan as Acting Deputy Minister of Justice....
14:35
Armenian parliament speaker confirms MP's resignation
National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has issued a statement on the resignation of Narek Zeynalyan as an MP from Armenia’s ruling Civil...
14:06
Visa restricts media access to key event in Yerevan
Visa has restricted the media access to the Cashless Forum 2024 to be held in Yerevan for the first time on November 22. Only...
13:36
Orban says he will invite Netanyahu to Hungary after ICC warrant
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee...
13:11
Temps to plummet in Armenia
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions on Friday and over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country...
12:32
Alexis Ohanian showcases rare Armenian coin
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has showcased a rare Armenian coin from 95 BC featuring Tigranes the Great, a famous Armenian king....
12:16
German foreign minister criticizes Azerbaijan's human rights record
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the human rights record of Azerbaijan during her first appearance at the UN Climate Change...
12:06
Minister shares new images captured by Armenia's first satellite
Armenia's Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has shared new satellite images from orbit captured by ARMSAT-1,...
11:36
World Cadet Chess Championship passes its halfway mark
The 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship has passed its halfway mark in Montesilvano, Italy. After 6 rounds, in the Open 12 category CM...
11:15
Iran to launch 'new and advanced centrifuges' in response to IAEA censure
Iran said Friday it would launch a series of "new and advanced" centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the IAEA that...
11:00
Armenian, Iranian foreign ministers hold phone call
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi....
17:07
Winter military draft starts in Armenia on November 25
The winter conscription for compulsory military service starts in Armenia on November 25 to run through January 31, 2025. The...
16:45
Russian spokeswoman told not to comment on ballistic missile strike live on air
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova received a phone call during a live press briefing on Thursday telling her not to...
16:33
Belgian politicians call for immediate release of all Armenian prisoners held in Baku
In the backdrop of the COP29 currently taking place in Baku 20 members of the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon...
16:06
Armenia thwarts large-scale drug smuggling attempt
Officers of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC) have foiled an attempt to smuggle some 1,600 grams of cocaine into the country as part...
15:33
Armenian government reduces financial aid for Artsakh refugees
The Armenian government on Thursday approved a decision to reduce financial aid for the displaced Artsakh Armenians. Starting from...
14:45
Percival Everett wins National Book Award
Percival Everett has won the $10,000 National Book Award for fiction, one of the US’s most prestigious literary prizes, for James, his...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}