US Senate bill to recognize 'Armenian genocide' blocked again
A Republican legislator aligned with US President Donald Trump has blocked Senate efforts to recognise the Armenian genocide, signalling administration attempts to soothe tensions between the United States and Turkey.
Georgia Senator David Perdue stopped the bipartisan resolution on Thursday, a week after his colleague Lindsey Graham blocked the same measure following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On Thursday, Perdue cited meetings between US and Turkish officials, saying that his objection to the measure stemmed from concerns over diplomacy with Turkey, not the bill's content.
"Its passage today would undermine the administration's commitment to overcoming real challenges in our bilateral relationship with Turkey," he said.
Bob Menendez, a senior Democrat senator, and Ted Cruz, a Republican, had introduced the bill, seeking unanimous consent for it.
"Expressing the sense of the Senate that it is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance," the bill reads.
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