ISSUES

ISSUES

Issues of special concern to the Armenian American Republican community include, among others:

Armenian Genocide Recognition:
In the best tradition of the Republican Party's principled leadership on international affairs, the U.S. government should formally recognize that the deliberate massacres of between 1.5 and 2 million Armenians from 1895-1923 constitutes a genocide as defined in the U.N. Genocide Convention. (This Convention was approved by the U.S. in 1984 under a Republican President, Ronald Reagan.)
Saving Armenia's Christian Heritage in Turkey and Azerbaijan:
The U.S. government should take immediate steps to press the Turkish and Azerbaijani governments to cease the widespread and ongoing destruction of Armenian Christian churches, relics, cemeteries, and khachkars (stone crosses) on their territory. These sites, some over 1500 years old, are an irreplaceable part of the world's Christian heritage and must be preserved for future generations.
U.S. Assistance to Armenia:
The U.S. should continue to promote free markets and democracy in Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh through humanitarian, economic, and civil-society assistance designed to promote self-sufficiency and to build strong trading partners for American businesses. This aid is especially important given the ongoing blockade of Armenia by it neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, which costs Armenia approximately $500 million a year according to the World Bank.
U.S.-Armenia Bilateral Relations:
The U.S. government should continually strengthen the enduring ties forged between the American and Armenian people during the horrors of the Armenian Genocide and through our collective struggle against Communism during the hard years of the Cold War. Cooperation should be encouraged through exchange programs, tax treaties, social security agreements, and pro-free trade initiatives designed to promote commerce between both nations.
Self-Determination of Nagorno Karabagh:
In the tradition of our own founding fathers, who risked their lives, liberty, and honor to live under a government of their own choosing, the U.S. government should respect the inalienable right of the people of Nagorno Karabagh to self-determination. We should never, as a nation, be in the morally bankrupt position of supporting Josef Stalin's arbitrary decision, taken as part of his divide-and-conquer strategy, to place Nagorno Karabagh under Azerbaijani administration.
War on Terrorism:
The Armenian people have throughout history suffered the evils of state-sponsored terrorism. Armenian Americans support the U.S.-led War on Terror and encourage the U.S. government to thoroughly investigate Al Qaida's extensive links with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Education:
Armenian private schools in the United States provide a unique environment for the teaching of the next generation of Armenians about their Christian faith, ancient language, and rich heritage. School vouchers can play a critical role in helping Armenian American families afford to make the choice to send their children to these schools.
Taxation:
Reducing the tax burden on hard working families is important to all Americans, including Armenian Americans. Tax reforms stimulating savings and investment while reducing overall taxation on the middle class is important in creating a healthy economic climate in the United States.
Social Security:
A healthy social security system is important for all seniors, including Armenian Americans. In order to ensure that social security benefits grow and are available in the future, the U.S. government should provide choices for wage earners to invest part of their social security contributions.