Graded F: Republican Pete Sessions (R-17)
Never the leader on anti-Armenian bills, always second in line. A solid F.
Hovik moves to Texas, where more F grades await, and starts with Pete Sessions. Hamparian notes Sessions has been in Congress for years, left for a time, and has since returned. Across that tenure, Hamparian says, Sessions has been out front on nearly every anti-Armenian initiative imaginable, covering both pro-Turkish and pro-Azeri efforts.
The characterization is memorable: Sessions does not miss a trick. Whether the issue is the Armenian Genocide, Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), or Azerbaijani accountability, Hamparian describes Sessions as consistently present on the hostile side. He is careful to add that Sessions is not necessarily the leader of these efforts but rather the reliable second in line whenever something harmful to Armenians comes up.
Hamparian calls Sessions a solid F, maybe not the worst of the worst, but a dependable vote against Armenian interests on issue after issue. For viewers tracking ANCA’s report card, Sessions represents a category of legislator who may not grab headlines but can be counted on to support anti-Armenian measures, which is precisely why the grade sticks.
Transcript
Hovik Manucharyan: let's go to Texas where we also have more Fs. Let's start with Pete Sessions, Aram.
Aram Suren Hamparian: Yeah, he has been in Congress. I think he left for a while. He's come back now. He has just been out front on every anti-Armenian initiative you can imagine. And that includes pro-Turkish anti-Armenian initiatives and pro-Azeri anti-Armenian initiatives. He just doesn't miss a trick. And he's not been like necessarily the leader on these, but he's been, you know, second in line whenever there's something hostile to the Armenians, whether that's the Armenian genocide or Artsakh or Azerbaijani accountability. So he's a solid F, maybe not the worst of the worst, but definitely a solid F.