Bipartisan ANCA-backed measure seeks to break Azerbaijan`s blockade  of Artsakh

ArmInfo. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D- NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA).joined today with senior House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brad Sherman (D-CA) in rolling  out new bi-partisan legislation - supported by the Armenian National  Committee of America (ANCA) - aimed at breaking Azerbaijan's brutal  45-day blockade of 120,000 indigenous Christian Armenians living in   Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).  

"Armenian and allied Americans welcome news of a targeted anti-blockade resolution, and are already hard at  work alongside our local chapters, activists, and coalition partners  in Congressional Districts across the country building bipartisan  consensus around urgent enforcement of concrete costs on Azerbaijan  for ethnic-cleansing Armenians," said ANCA Executive Director Aram  Hamparian. "Join our grassroots movement now, by taking action at  anca.org/resolution." In a letter to Congressional colleagues  encouraging them to cosponsor the anti-blockade resolution, Armenian  Caucus founding-Co-Chair  Pallone explained, "The Aliyev regime is  taking premeditated steps to remove the indigenous Armenian  population from Artsakh and deprive them of the opportunity to live  freely, democratically, and with dignity in the land of their  ancestors - a clear sign of ethnic cleansing that we cannot ignore."  Rep. Pallone asserted, "the United States must act immediately and  use every diplomatic tool available to reopen the corridor before  this humanitarian crisis becomes catastrophic." In addition to  forcefully condemning Azerbaijan's actions, the soon-to-be-introduced  resolution would place the U.S. House of Representatives on record in  favor of five practical remedies to the worsening humanitarian crisis  in Artsakh caused by Azerbaijan's blockade of food, medicine, and  other vital necessities:  1) U.S. leadership in rallying the global  community to petition international and multinational courts to  investigate Azerbaijani war crimes.  

2) U.S. cooperation with international partners, including Artsakh  authorities, in securing the deployment of international observers to  the Lachin Corridor.  3) Presidential action to immediately suspend  any U.S. military or security assistance to Azerbaijan, and to  enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act 

4) Presidential enforcement of statutory sanctions authority against  Azerbaijani officials responsible for the blockade of Artsakh and  other human rights violations 

5) A robust program of sustained U.S. humanitarian relief and  longer-term development assistance to the Armenian victims of  Azerbaijani aggression in Artsakh.and the Congressional Armenian  Caucus leadership are spearheading a bi-partisan resolution to break  the brutal blockade that oil-rich Azerbaijan put in place on December  11th against the 120,000 Christian Armenians living in their  indigenous Artsakh homeland.