Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) was instructed by the White House to block a bipartisan effort on Thursday to pass a resolution via unanimous consent to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, according to Axios. 

Cramer is the third Republican senator to block the resolution, under the Trump administration’s direction, and said on the Senate floor that he doesn’t think this is “the right time,” noting that the resolution could undermine President Trump’s relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Yet, Cramer was a co-sponsor of a similar resolution during the last Congress in which he thanked actor Dean Cain for visiting Capitol Hill to “raise awareness on the Armenian genocide,” in September 2017.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga) were previously instructed to block the resolution and justified their actions by citing the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.

Both Graham and Cramer stated that they do not intend to continue objecting to the resolution. 

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