Thursday, May 17 2018 12:39

ArmInfo.Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA) submitted powerful testimony this week to key House foreign aid appropriators, calling for the expansion of U.S. assistance to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia, and the implementation of measures to check escalating Azerbaijani aggression, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). 

As Armenian Committee of America informs, Pallone particulary said in  his speech: "I believe the Fiscal Year 2019 House budget should  reflect an unwavering commitment to strengthening the independence of  the Republic of Armenia, promoting peace in the Republic of Artsakh  (Nagorno Karabakh), and supporting Armenia as a regional safe haven  for at-risk Middle East refugees," began Rep. Pallone's testimony to  the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign  Operations, the panel tasked with preparing the foreign aid bill for  full House consideration.  

Rep. Pallone cited the long history of U.S. assistance to Armenians,  including during the Armenian Genocide, and noted that "the  generosity of the American people has carried through to this day,  helping to usher in Democratic reforms for Armenia at the end of the  Cold War and allowing it to create a market-based economy. These  reforms are now on full display after peaceful protests in April led  to the democratic and fair election of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian  on May 8."  To assist the over 20,000 Syrian refugees who have sought  safe-haven in Armenia, Rep. Pallone called for an allocation of $20  million. 

Rep. Pallone noted the impact of ongoing U.S. support to Artsakh in  the areas of maternal health, demining, rehabilitation centers and  clean water programs, and called for an allocation of $6 million in  FY 2019.  "Unfortunately, violence against the Armenian people  continues today, in part because of continued military assistance to  the Azerbaijani Government," continued Pallone, who called on  Congressional leaders to zero-out military aid to the Aliyev regime  and allocate $4 million for the "placement of advanced gunfire  locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source  of attacks along the line of contact." Rep. Pallone went on to  request $30 million in U.S. economic aid to Armenia and $10 million  in military aid and training assistance.  Earlier this year, ANCA  Government Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian offered testimony to  the U.S. Senate and House panels drafting the FY 2019 foreign aid  bill calling for a targeted $70 million aid package that would fund  de-mining and rehabilitation in Artsakh, implementation of the  Royce-Engel proposal to deploy gunfire locators along the  line-of-contact, the expansion of U.S-Armenia economic and military  partnerships, and support for Armenia as a regional safe haven for  at-risk Middle East refugees.