Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar refused to back a resolution Tuesday that recognized the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I as a “genocide.”
The Minnesota congresswoman voted “present” at the vote Tuesday, telling CNN in a statement afterward that genocide “should not 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 trans-Atlantic slave trade and Native American genocide, which took the lives of hundreds of millions of indigenous people in this country,” she said in the statement, according to CNN.
“For this reason, I voted ‘present’ on final passage of H.Res.296, the resolution Affirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide,” she added.
The House passed the bill Tuesday with overwhelming support — 405 in favor, compared to 11 in opposition.
In addition to Omar, Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Paul Gosar of Arizona voted present.
Democratic leadership praised the bill, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling the mass slaughter “one of the great atrocities of the 20th century.”
Joe Biden added: “By acknowledging this genocide, we honor the memory of its victims and vow: never again.”
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