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The Armenian Reporter | February 6, 2010NationalCongressman: State Department is mainstumbling block for Genocide resolutionScott Garrett, NewJersey Republican,discusses Armenianissues, U.S. policiesin interviewWashington – Since 2003 ScottGarrett has represented northernNew Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District,which, according to ArmenianChurch data, includes about 10,000Armenian-American residents. Mr.Garrett is a supporter of the ArmenianGenocide resolution and continuedrobust U.S. assistance to Armenia.In April 2006, Mr. Garrett visitedArmenia on a trip for the U.S. MillenniumChallenge Corporation; he isalso a prominent voice on the HouseFinancial Services Committee. OnDecember 28, Mr. Garrett talked withthe Armenian Reporter’s ShantShahrigian and Emil Sanamyan.Armenian Reporter: Turkish PrimeMinister Erdogan was in Washingtona few weeks ago and made anumber of controversial statements,opposing U.S. policy towardIran and very publicly denying theArmenian Genocide. What is yourreaction to those comments?Rep. Garrett: With regard tothe Iran situation, you have one ofthree alternatives for the UnitedStates, Turkey, and the rest of theworld to take. That is to take toughersanctions, A; B, take militaryactions; or C, find yourselves inthe situation where Iran will haveacquired the capability to deliver anuclear threat.I think none of us want to findourselves in the latter case. The secondposition is a difficult one to advocatefor at this point, so we hopethat will not happen. [That leavesoption A.] I hope Turkey would realizeit is in everyone’s interest tojoin with us on this issue.So it is disconcerting, to saythe least, to have heard the primeminister’s position on this, andwe would have hoped for a betterstatement at that time. At somepoint, you might even say, as mymother once said, it’s better to remainsilent than to say the wrongthing.[Genocide denial] just continuesto be so troubling with regard toTurkey. This is truly just a step backwardin the dialogue that should beongoing. Instead of a positive statementfor or against, again this is acase where silence would have beenpreferable to taking such a positionin the wrong direction.Reporter: Why do you think theArmenian Genocide resolution hasyet to pass through Congress?Rep. Garrett: (Smiling) That,again, is one of the easier questions.I believe it’s in large part dueto pressure that the administrationreceives from the State Department.Not to put all of the fault on theRep. ScottGarrett (R-N.J.).AIADC.orgState Department, but I know whathappens on these things. Membersof Congress push for the legislation,advocate it on the floor, advocateit to the administration. Stateis always on the other side of thisissue. Regardless of which party isin power, the administration harkensto their pleas. The closer wethink we’re getting to the Speaker[of the House of Representatives]ever actually posting the bill, theSpeaker capitulates and sides withthe administration - again, regardlessof party, unfortunately.Reporter: Do you see any causefor optimism about passing theresolution in 2010?Rep. Garrett: I try to remainoptimistic. That’s why I join mycolleagues on [the Genocide resolution],join the trade media outcryhere, join the citizenry on the issue.And that’s eventually what it’sgoing to take in order to get thisadministration to decide. Becauseat the end of the day I don’t thinkany of the leaders will do so - postit [for a full House vote] - with thepresident adamantly opposed tothe resolution.Reporter: What would it meanfor U.S. foreign policy to reflect ArmenianGenocide recognition as iscalled for in the proposed resolution?Rep. Garrett: Our policy vis-àvisTurkey would take a harder line.What does that mean? That meansthat while we may now skirt theissue of the Genocide, if the resolutionwere to be passed it wouldbe up front and center stage in anyof our discussions, deliberations,negotiations on a host of otherissues. [The United States would]work to have them recognize thesignificance and the importance ofthe Genocide.Reporter: Can you give an exampleof the kind of issues betweenthe United States and Turkey thatthe Genocide resolution, if passed,would bear on?Rep. Garrett: Off the top of myhead, economic assistance and thelike is certainly one that would beat issue.Reporter: Do you think thenormalization process betweenArmenia and Turkey, the proposedhistorical sub-commission, throwsa monkey wrench in the U.S. legislativeprocess of recognizing theGenocide?Rep. Garrett: No, [the Genocideresolution] would just be anelement of that processIssues closer to homeReporter: What would you say themain concerns of your Armenianconstituents are?Rep. Garrett: First and foremostare the ones you have raisedright here. But then quite candidlythe issues that they come to eitheras individuals or in groups mightnot all simply be tied to Armenia/Turkey issues. They are businesspeople and the like, so the rest ofthe issues are relevant to the businesscommunity, the economic conditionand consumer issues and soon. Those fall under that category.What I’m saying is they have issueslike anyone else.I guess I would put a caveat onthat, in our district, we have seniorsthere, we have an Armenian[nursing] home. There are certainlyplenty of Armenian issues and generalconstituent issues that are notnecessarily pertaining to them thatare just middle ground issues.Reporter: And what are some ofthe main challenges your districtfaces?Rep. Garrett: Here in our districtwe’re suffering just as the restof the county is from the unemploymentsituation. With Wall Street inour backyard, so to speak, we havebeen hit harder than other parts ofthe country by the economic crisisthat occurred with the bankingproblems last year. That doesn’tmean you have to be a Wall Streetbanker to have been hit by it. It hada ripple effect upon the rest of thecommunity, as well.Reporter: Have your religiousviews shaped your attitude towardArmenian-American issues?Rep. Garrett: All of our viewsare shaped by where we come from.Where I come from, religion is animportant part of my life.On the Armenian situation, Ithink you can address it from bothpoints of view: Clearly, from a moralright point of view, yes, it doeseffect what I feel should have beendone long ago. Even if you aren’tlooking at it from that perspective[but] from a geopolitical point ofview, [Genocide recognition] is inthe interest of the United States aswell.fFund for Armenian Relief celebrates its 20th anniversaryn Continued from page In 1990, DFAR was reorganized asan independent NGO, the Fund forArmenian Relief with ArchbishopKhajag Barsamian as the Presidentof the organization.Dr. Housepian continues to serveas the vice chair of FAR’s Board ofDirectors and the chair of FAR’smedical committee. He also carrieson humanitarian work as the SpecialAdvisor for International Relationsat Columbia-PresbyterianMedical Center.Dr. Housepian’s passion for medicaleducation and his dedication toFAR helped cement several crucialFAR medical programs, which areleading Armenia on the path tobecome an international center formedical education and research.Randy Sapah-Gulian, Chair ofFAR’s Board of Directors, called Dr.Housepian a man of wisdom anda great humanitarian. He recalledthe horrible day in 1988 when theterrible earthquake hit Armenia.“Back then it was all about theFund for Armenian Relief providingthe necessities of life for Armenians- housing, transportation, infrastructure- and they created the Fundfor Armenian Relief because theybelieved they needed an organizationto continue to do the importantthings that Armenia needed,” he said.“FAR has invested $280 million inprograms and projects for Armenia.While we always provide for thosethat need assistance for Armenia,from an infrastructure perspectivethe focus has changed to provide forthe things that will help Armeniansreally help themselves.”Today, FAR also operates programsthat provide Armenians withthe tools, knowledge, and resourcesto take ownership of their future.On a daily basis, FAR touches thelives of thousands of Armeniansthrough programs that providefood and medical care to the elderly;care and guidance to children atrisk;education and support to students,doctors, and academics; andreconstruction of roads, hospitals,and water pipelines to improve thenation’s infrastructure.Mr. Sapah-Gulian told the storiesof some FAR program beneficiaries,including a young girl who obtainedan education because of FAR; an elderlyman who lives in FAR’s seniorcitizen home; and two young childrenwho are no longer living withabusive parents because of the FARHomeless Children Center.“These people and thousands of othershave been helped because of Dr.Housepian,” Mr. Sapah-Gulian said.FAR strives not only to help peoplein need, but also those with talentwho lack the opportunity to improvetheir lives. By creating educationaland employment opportunities, FARhelps build a social ethos of trust essentialfor a productive society.FAR also tries to instill the cultureof volunteerism in the younggeneration of Armenians, explainingthat giving back to others mustbecome an essential component oftheir lives. Dr. Housepian has setsuch an example through his tirelesswork for Armenia.“If anyone could ever decide tobe an example of goodwill towardsmankind it would be Dr. EdgarHousepian,” said Archbishop Barsamian.“All of us here have witnessedhis outpouring of goodwill - how hereaches out to people from all walksof life without discrimination. Ashis friends we know how generoushe is with his time and advice. Weknow of his great patriotism andconcern for our homeland, but whatimpresses me in Dr. Housepian ishis truly humanitarian concern.His goodwill is directed not only tofriends and fellow countrymen, butalso to people he has never met andprobably never will meet.”Archbishop Barsamian spoke ofa recent call he received from Dr.Housepian, asking how the Armeniancommunity could help thevictims of this month’s earthquakein Haiti.“Over these past 20 years I havereceived such calls dozens of timesfrom Dr. Housepian,” ArchbishopBarsamian said. “Whether thecause is a great disaster or the quietaffliction of an individual, the spiritof goodwill in Dr. Housepian’sheart compels him to help, to act,to use whatever power he has forrelief. Today in our world there arecountless people whose lives havebeen touched ... and even saved becauseof his compassion and goodwill.Looking at it that way, onecan see how a spirit of goodwill istruly a blessing from God and likeall blessings it gives us an opportunityto reflect, be grateful, andbe inspired. That is the meaningof tonight’s tribute, to honor, tothank, and to be inspired by oneman’s outpouring of goodwill.”Keynote speaker Dr. Chobaniancalled Dr. Housepian a man of admirablefinesse and resolve. Henoted Dr. Housepian’s great contributionsto robotic brain surgery,his contributions to ColumbiaUniversity, where he has servedon a multitude of committees, hisparticipation in numerous medicalsocieties, as well as his legendaryacademic accomplishments. But itis Dr. Housepian’s personality thatsets him apart, Dr. Chobanian said.“While his academic accomplishmentshave been legendary, whatreally define Ed are his personalqualities. What I consider the qualitiesthat I like to teach to medicalstudents, residents and otherphysicians, I only need to thinkof Ed and the qualities he represents- intelligence, scholarship,thoroughness, and confidence,combined with empathy, openness,honesty, respectfulness, humility,humanness.” His Holiness KarekinII closed the program with specialwords of praise for the Fund forArmenian Relief and the honoree.“Dr. Edgar Housepian, following theexample of his parents, who werededicated to their homeland andloved the Church, and endowedwith their zeal, he is continuing tocontribute to the well being andprogress of our fatherland.Since the 1988 earthquake inArmenia, through the EasternDiocese, FAR and other organizationsthat were summoned to helpArmenia, he has put his rich experiencesand knowledge at the disposalof the productive enterpriseof modernizing health care in ourcountry, helping to refurbish themedical establishments technologically,retraining doctors, andstrengthening relations betweenthe fatherland and the diaspora.Thanks to his professional and benevolentactivities, Dr. Housepianhas attained much appreciationfrom both professional doctorsand the government of Armenia.”he said.Dr. Housepian expressed his gratitudefor the evening’s program. “Allthese activities - the medical activitiesthat I’ve been passionate aboutand involved in - have had a positiveimpact on the medical culture of thephysicians who now actually worktogether,” he said. “The MedicalSchool and Health Ministry cooperatein supporting each other’s programs.These are all firsts in the formerSoviet Union.” He spoke abouteach of the programs FAR has beenimplementing in Armenia - the ContinuingMedical Education programand the FAR Fellowship Alumni Association;the improvement of theArmenian National Medical Library;and the Armenian National Scienceand Education Fund.“It’s been a great honor for me tolead some of these programs forthe past 20 years and I’m gratefulto our Vehapar for being here, andhumbled to have received such highhonors from him, the President ofArmenia Serge Sargsyan, and theentire FAR Board” he said. f