The latest version of an Armenian Genocide resolution is on track to win House committee approval, but its long-term prospects remain uncertain, The Fresno Bee correspondent Michael Doyle said in his article.
“Many in the central San Joaquin Valley, and in other regions with large Armenian-American populations, are watching closely, and in some cases playing an active role. The House panel's members include a number of resolution co-sponsors, including Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno. Advocates of the resolution say it's important to account for the Ottoman Empire killings and depredations that occurred during and after World War I, when by estimates upward of 1.5 million Armenians died. "Genocide is not something that can simply be swept under the rug and forgotten, and our nation cannot continue its policy of denial regarding the Armenian Genocide," Costa said. Currently, for instance, the resolution has only 137 House co-sponsors, far short of the 218 needed for House approval. In 2007, the Bush administration successfully argued the resolution would undermine the use of Turkish bases to resupply U.S. forces in Iraq. In 2000, then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert killed the resolution, citing "unusually tense" conditions in the Middle East.
High-powered lobbying is another familiar plot line.
Hastert is now registered as a lobbyist for the Turkish government. His firm, Dickstein Shapiro, has been paid up to $45,000 a month for its work on Turkey's behalf, public records show. One-time House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt is likewise a registered lobbyist for Turkey.”
