WASHINGTON – Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) again attempted to bring the Armenian Genocide S. 150 resolution to the Senate floor, seeking unanimous consent for the floor voting. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) supported Menendez in his speech.
As earlier this month, when Menendez’s initiative was vetoed by virtue of one legislator’s objection, on November 21 a sole senator, this time David Perdue (R-Georgia), vetoed the legislation’s coming to a vote. Senator Perdue referred to Secretary Pompeo’s recent interaction with his Turkish counterpart Cavusoglu at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, suggesting that the resolution’s adoption will affect the U.S. Turkey relations.
“I will respectfully object to this resolution this time” he stated. The Senator, presumably, did not consider that a similar resolution had already passed the House recently, without causing any tangible negative consequence for bilateral relations between the U.S. and Turkey. In fact, Turkish president Erdogan visited Washington only about two weeks following the resolution’s confirmation.
In his response, Menendez answered that if “eleven NATO allies have done this and they are still working with Turkey and still have diplomatic relationships with Turkey it is amazing that the greatest superpower on the earth can not speak truth to history.” He vowed he was not going to relent on the affirmation of the Armenian resolution.
Senator Sherred Brown (D-OH) voiced his appreciation that Menendez has always spoken up for human rights.