ACA Calls on Congress to Censure Congressman Randy Fine Over Anti-Armenian Remarks

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Armenian Council of America (ACA) today condemned remarks made by U.S. Representative Randy Fine (R-FL), in which he publicly declared that “We don’t want Armenians to be able to serve in Congress.” ACA called the statement discriminatory and a direct affront to the Armenian American community and to the principle of equal representation enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

ACA Calls On:

• Calls on the House to censure Representative Fine.
• Representative Fine to publicly retract his statement and issue an apology to the Armenian American community.
• All members of Congress to support the censure of Representative Fine and to affirm unequivocally that every American, regardless of ethnicity or ancestry, has the right to seek and hold public office.

ACA has submitted information on the matter to the Office of Congressional Conduct, which reviews and investigates matters of misconduct related to Members of Congress.

Armenian Americans have a long and distinguished history of service in public life, including in the United States Congress, the U.S. Armed Forces, the judiciary, and across all branches of government. Many are descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the community has consistently stood as a testament to the promise of American pluralism. Armenian Americans have also served in Congress as Democrats and Republicans, such as Representatives Thomas Corwin, Steven Derounian, Adam Benjamin Jr., Chip Pashayan, Anna Eshoo, John E. Sweeney, Jackie Speier, and Anthony Brindisi. Representative Fine’s words are an affront to every single member of the House of Representatives and to all Americans.

“Representative Fine’s Armenophobic remarks are intolerable and must be unequivocally condemned. Such bigoted rhetoric has no place in public office and is wholly inconsistent with the standards expected of a Member of Congress. Representative Fine must be condemned and censured,” stated Sevak Khatchadorian, Executive Board Chairman of the Armenian Council of America.

The Armenian Council of America is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting the rights, heritage, and interests of Armenian Americans in the United States. The ACA engages with elected officials, civic institutions, and the broader public to advance justice for the Armenian people at home and abroad.