Press Room

(10/30/08) Washington, DC: ARMENPAC Co-Chairs Edgar Hagopian and Annie Totah urge Armenian Americans to exercise their right to vote this November 4th by casting a vote for the Obama-Biden ticket.

While many in the community are rightly skeptical about promises made during the campaign season, only to see them broken later, and while it is true that neither Presidential candidate has cosponsored the Armenian Genocide resolution, S.Res.106 or legislation (S.Res.65) honoring the legacy of Hrant Dink, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has consistently made numerous statements affirming the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide.

In fact, in a letter this week to Armenian Americans for Barack Obama / Joe Biden 2008, Obama stated: “I’m pleased to have the support and endorsement for the Obama-Biden ticket of people like Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans, who was fired after he used the term ‘genocide’ to describe Turkey’s slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. Joe Biden and I believe that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence.” As for Barack’s running mate Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), Biden has a strong record of supporting Armenian American issues. Biden, who is Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has not only spearheaded the Hrant Dink legislation, but has also consistently supported resolutions affirming the Armenian Genocide, and this Congress is no exception with his cosponsorship of S.Res. 106.

“We urge everyone of all persuasions to vote for the Obama-Biden ticket,” stated ARMENPAC Co-Chairs Annie Totah and Edgar Hagopian. “ARMENPAC looks forward to ensuring that all candidates live up to their campaign promises,” continued Totah and Hagopian.

In addition, to the Obama-Biden ticket, ARMENPAC has also endorsed, Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), as well as Adam Schiff (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), and David Krikorian (I-OH), among others.

ARMENPAC’s mission, as an independent, multicandidate political action committee, is to raise awareness of, and advocate for, candidates for the United States Congress and the office of the President that support policies that help create peace, security and stability in the Caucasus region. ARMENPAC aims to achieve its mission by objectively apprising voters of candidates’ positions relating to issues of importance to the Armenian-American community only, and not those relating to broader issues which effect America as a whole.