Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar did not vote in favor of a bipartisan resolution recognizing the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.
The firebrand Minnesota Democrat, who voted “present,” told CNN in a statement that she voted that way because the resolution didn’t also recognize “earlier mass slaughters.” She also said that she didn’t want the recognition to “be used as a cudgel in a political fight.”
“A true acknowledgment of historical crimes against humanity must include both the heinous genocides of the 20th century, along with earlier mass slaughters like the transatlantic slave trade and Native American genocide, which took the lives of hundreds of millions of indigenous people in this country,” Omar said in the statement.
The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, was approved by a 405-11 vote and is a shot at NATO ally Turkey, which has consistently pushed for the slaughter to not be referred to as a genocide. Between 1915 and 1923, about 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Turks.
“Genocides, whenever and wherever they occur, cannot be ignored, whether they took place in the 20th century by the Ottoman Turks or mid-20th century by the Third Reich and in Darfur,” Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida said Tuesday.
“Today we end a century of international silence that will not be another period of indifference or international ignorance to the lives lost to systematic murder,” he added.
Among the 11 Republicans who voted “no” on the resolution was Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana, Vice President Mike Pence’s brother.
“I have a lot of confidence in the president and the administration knowing what to do in Turkey, and I didn’t want to interfere,” Greg Pence said.
Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas voted “present” on the measure. When asked in 2009 if she recognized the genocide, she said, “I don’t acknowledge, I was not around.”
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona also voted “present.”
Three members voted present:
Paul Gosar
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Ilhan Omar— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) October 29, 2019
