On Tuesday, the U.S. House voted to pass H.Res. 296, a resolution to recognize and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

H.Res. 296, introduced by Schiff and Rep. Bilirakis (R-FL), passed with strong bipartisan consensus by a vote of 405-11.

“[Tuesday] the House decisively voted to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. In so doing, the House declared that it will no longer be party to the cause of genocide denial,” stated Rep. Adam Schiff, vice chair of the Armenian-American Caucus. “I am grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as the Armenian American activists and community leaders who have fought for recognition for so long. While we can never undo the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide, this vote is a commitment that we will never forget and we will never again be intimidated into silence.”

Schiff spoke on the House floor in support of the resolution.

In his remarks Schiff stated, “This April, the world marked the 104th  anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the systematic murder of 1.5 million Armenians and the displacement of millions more by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. Many other religious and ethnic minorities in the Ottoman Empire met similar fates, among them the Greeks, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. More than a century after the Armenian Genocide, it is our solemn responsibility to remember those who were lost, to seek justice and restitution, and to educate Americans and the world about the crime of genocide.”