Friday, March 24 2023 13:25

ArmInfo.As Azerbaijan's siege of Artsakh passed the 100-day mark this week, a bipartisan group of sixty-nine U.S. Representatives, led by Congressional Armenian Caucus founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), once again called for ending  military aid to Azerbaijan and sending $150 million in assistance to  Artsakh and Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of  America (ANCA).  

The request comes in the form of a letter to Appropriations  Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations Chairman Mario Diaz Balart  (R-FL) and Ranking Member Barbara Lee (D-CA), who have already begun  drafting the U.S. House version of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)   foreign aid bill.  

"Continued U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan represents a free pass for  Azerbaijani aggression, a greenlight for Azerbaijani escalation,"  said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "It should have stopped  on day one with President Biden, who entered office as a sharp critic  of arming and aiding Aliyev. But, if our President won't do what's  right, Congress needs to act." 

Joining Chairman Pallone in co-signing the letter are  Representatives: Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Gus  Bilirakis (R-FL), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony  Cardenas (D- CA), JoaquЎn Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), David  Cicilline (D-RI), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Diana DeGette  (D-CO), Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Anna  Eshoo (D- CA), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Jared  Golden (D-ME), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Brian  Higgins (D-NY), Jim Himes (D-CT), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Chrissy  Houlahan (D-PA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL),  Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Dan Kildee  (D-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Mike Levin  (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA),  Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), James McGovern  (D-MA), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Grace Napolitano  (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes  Norton (D- DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jimmy  Panetta (D-CA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Brittany  Pettersen (D-CO), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Katie Porter (D-CA), Jamie  Raskin (D- MD), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Mary Gay  Scanlon (D-PA), Janice Schakowsky (D- IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad  Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Abigail  Spanberger (D-VA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Dina  Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D- MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan  (D-MA), and Susan Wild (D-PA).  

The letter includes the following budgetary requests:  

-- $100 million for security, economic, governance, and rule of law   assistance to Armenia 

-- $50 million for Artsakh to provide a comprehensive assistance  strategy and support the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh in  their rebuilding and resettlement efforts - along with an additional  $2 million for humanitarian demining and UXO clearance.  

-- The suspension of all U.S. military and security aid to Azerbaijan  and a State Department assessment of potential sanctions against  Azeri officials found to have supported human rights abuses and war   crimes.  

-- Language supporting the Administration's efforts to secure the  release of Armenian POWs illegally held by Azerbaijan.  

Over 50,000 pro-Artsakh advocates used the ANCA action platform -  anca.org/aid - writing, tweeting, and calling their U.S.  Representative to co-sign the Congressional letter.  

The full text of the Armenian Caucus letter is provided below and  available here:   https://anca.org/assets/pdf/032223_FY24_ArmenianCaucus_SFOPs_Letter.pdf