Washington, DC - As part of its continued push to secure a floor vote on H. Res. 252, the Armenian Genocide resolution, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) met last week with bill sponsor, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). Southern California Regional Council (SCRC) Members Peter Kezirian and Margaret Mgrublian along with Aline Maksoudian of the Assembly's Western Region office thanked Congressman Schiff for his continued leadership and discussed the dynamics of a floor vote when Congress returns from the August recess. Congressman Schiff shared the Assembly's goals of securing an affirmative vote on the House floor before Congress adjourns this session and encouraged the Assembly to continue its outreach and expand the resolution's base of support. "I respect and appreciate the Armenian Assembly's important work on this critical human rights issue," stated Congressman Adam Schiff. "By working together, we can overcome the hurdles before us, and I remain confident that we will succeed," added Schiff. "The consequences of genocide and its denial continue to this day," stated SCRC Member Margaret Mgrublian. "It is incumbent upon us and all those concerned about human rights and genocide prevention to join together and ensure passage of H. Res. 252," continued Mgrublian. H. Res. 252 enjoys the bipartisan support of 143 Members of Congress and was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee under the leadership of Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA). The next step in the legislative process is for a vote by the full House of Representatives. Companion legislation, S. Res. 316, introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) along with Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is currently pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is chaired by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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