Keller @ Large: US Lawmakers Confront Decades-Old Issue -- The Armenian Genocide

BOSTON (CBS) -- "We should always be counted on to speak out when people's human rights are being denied," said Worcester Congressman Jim McGovern during House debate Tuesday on a resolution to end a decades-old policy of the U.S. government refusing to use the word "genocide" to describe the mass slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in the early 20th century.

But as McGovern noted, while 31 nations and 49 out of 50 states have described the first mass slaughter of the 20th century as "genocide," the federal government never has.

Why?

The Turkish government aggressively denies that genocide took place, and throws a fit when the truth is noted. Presidents of both parties have balked at angering Turkey over this. In 2015 an Armenian-American member of the Patriots front office drew a terse response from President Obama at a White House ceremony honoring the Super Bowl champs when he challenged Mr. Obama over his refusal to call it a genocide.

"Passing such a resolution today could complicate the situation with a NATO ally," argued Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas). And as McGovern observed, "the government of Turkey employs very well-paid lobbyists here in Washington and they have been working quite diligently trying to defeat  this."

It seemingly took a fresh round of killing - of our Kurdish allies by Turkish troops - to force the issue in Congress.

"We were told that we had a great alliance with Turkey. Turkish forces shelled near and deliberately bracketed American bases. Americans fled in unseemly haste. Great ally," said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California).

In the end, the resolution passed, a rare DC victory for history and morality over transactional politics.

And the moment had special meaning for the Armenian-American community because genocide denial is alive and well. Remember awhile back when there was an uproar over a billboard in downtown Boston denying the Armenian slaughter?

But it's worth noting that the anti-genocide sentiment in the House couldn't overcome partisanship at first - the resolution passed on the first vote along straight party-lines.

However, in a later vote the measure did draw broad partisan support, 405 to 11.