Senate Archives

Washington: Top Senate Appropriators Threaten Turkey Aid Over Attacks on US Protesters

May 22, 2017 by administrator

29 U.S. Representatives Press Secretary Tillerson to Take Decisive Action against Ankara

WASHINGTON—Congressional uproar over the May 16th brutal beating of peaceful American protesters in Washington, DC by Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s security forces pushed into a second week, with top U.S. Senate appropriators – Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) – threatening to cut US assistance to Ankara if the matter is not given “the highest attention and consideration it deserves by the Government of Turkey,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

In a May 18th letter to Turkey’s Ambassador, Serdar Kilic, Senators Graham and Leahy stressed: “We would like to remind you that peaceful assembly and freedom of speech are fundamental rights in this country. The aggressiveness and brutality demonstrated by the Turkish security personnel are interpreted by many of us as much more than an attack against peaceful demonstrators – it is an attack against these very rights.” The text of this Senate letter is provided below.

Across the U.S. Capitol, 29 U.S. Representatives, led by Congressional Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), called on the State Department to take swift action and hold perpetrators accountable. “This kind of behavior by a foreign security detail is reprehensible and cannot be tolerated. These actions are not only criminal, they are affronts to U.S. values,” House leaders told Secretary of State Tillerson in their May 19th letter. “Freedom of speech and freedom to protest may be prohibited in Turkey and offensive to the Turkish President, but they are bedrock U.S. principles that must be safeguarded.” The full text of the U.S. House letter is provided below.

Congressional co-signers joining Rep. Carolyn Maloney include Representatives: Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Robert Brady (D-PA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), David Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Daniel Kildee (D-MI), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Bobby Rush (D-IL), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

These legislators join a broad range of Senate and House leaders who spoke out last week condemning President Erdogan for the attack, including Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) who called for Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Kilic to be sent back to Ankara. Congressman Don Beyer, who has previously served in the U.S. foreign service as Ambassador to Switzerland and Lichtenstein, also called for Amb. Kilic’s ouster and signed on to this Congressional letter as well.

“We would like to thank Senators Graham and Leahy, Representative Maloney and her 28 colleagues, and all the Members of Congress who continue to press for concrete consequences to President Erdogan’s brutal attack on peaceful protesters in our nation’s capital,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These Congressional protests need to be followed by serious policy-level actions – starting with the Administration’s immediate expulsion of Ambassador Kilic, a Congressional suspension on all aid to Turkey, and Ankara’s blanket waiver of immunity for any and all involved in this unprovoked assault.”

The ANCA has issued a call for concerned advocates to reach out to President Trump, Secretary Tillerson, and Senate and House legislators demanding the immediate expulsion of the Turkish ambassador.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian was videotaping live at the scene of the May 16th attack, which took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence where President Erdogan was scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council, a leading think tank in Washington, DC which receives funding from Turkey. Hamparian’s video showed pro-Erdogan forces crossing a police line and beating peaceful protesters – elderly men and several women – who were on the ground bleeding during most of the attack.

Voice of America Turkish division, in their video coverage shot from the vantage point of the Turkish Ambassador’s house, reported that the attackers belonged to President Erdogan’s security detail and were responsible for escalating the violence.

“The fights flared up after President Erdogan’s arrival at the Embassy residence,” reported Voice of America. “After the first bout of fights died down, Erdogan’s special security forces joined the second stage of fights. Fisticuffs and kicks ensued. The Washington Police Forces had great difficulty in preventing the fights. They had to use batons against Erdogan’s security forces.”

Additional VOA Turkish video has surfaced showing President Erdogan ordering his security detail to attack the protesters, then watching calmly as the beatings were carried out. Audio analysis carried out by the Daily Caller shows Erdogan’s bodyguards yelling “gel gel gel” — “come, come, come” — and “dalın diyor dalın diyor dalın diyor,” – “he says attack, he says attack, he says attack.”

The Washington Post has done a second-by-second analysis of the VOA Turkish videos and identified the Erdogan’s order of the attack.

The U.S. State Department called the Turkish Ambassador in for a discussion last week regarding the incident, officially expressing their dismay, calling the actions of President Erdogan’s bodyguards “unacceptable.” President Trump has yet to comment on the matter.

In a highly incendiary move, on Monday, May 22nd, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called in the U.S. Ambassador John Bass for a diplomatic discussion, accusing U.S. police and security personnel of “aggressive and unprofessional actions.”

Since reporting on the attacks by President Erdogan’s security forces, the ANCA has received threatening phone calls and messages on social media. These intimidation tactics have been reported to the Metropolitan Police and other authorities, and are now under investigation.

The protest in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence was a continuation of a demonstration held earlier in the day in front of the White House, co-hosted by the ANCA. As President Trump met with President Erdogan. human rights and religious rights groups were joined by representatives of the Kurdish, Yezidi and Armenian communities to call attention to the Erdogan regime’s escalating repression against a free press, the Kurdish and other ethnic communities, as well as Turkey’s ongoing obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.

Senate Foreign Appropriators Letter to Turkey Ambassador Kilic

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

We write to you to express our profound dismay at the reported attack by Turkish security personnel against peaceful protestors outside your residence during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Washington, DC.

We would like to remind you that peaceful assembly and freedom of speech are fundamental rights in this country. The aggressiveness and brutality demonstrated by the Turkish security personnel are interpreted by many of us as much more than an attack against peaceful demonstrators – it is an attack against these very rights. This incident is nothing short of an embarrassment for the Government of Turkey, and an unnecessary and self-inflicted strain on our bilateral relations.

We encourage local law enforcement personnel to prosecute perpetrators of this attack to the fullest extent of the law and support the expulsion from the United States of any diplomatic personnel involved.

We also ask that you meet with the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss this matter further, including potential implications for assistance for Turkey, should this matter be given less than the highest attention and consideration it deserves by the Government of Turkey.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Congressional Letter to Secretary Tillerson Condemning Erdogan’s Security Forces Attack on American Protesters

Dear Secretary Tillerson:

On May 16, members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail were caught on video brutally attacking protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC and deliberately disregarding police orders to halt their assaults. The video is incredibly disturbing. We urge you to immediately condemn this outrageous attack in the strongest terms possible and use all tools at your disposal so that these men are denied diplomatic immunity and prosecuted to the fullest extent of U.S. law.

Based on the video of the incident, these Turkish security guards should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed. Numerous members of President Erdogan’s security detail kicked, punched, and trampled people holding posters who were standing in a park that is clearly not part of the embassy. These Turkish security guards kicked men and women crouched on the ground and disregarded numerous commands by police to cease and desist. According to news reports, nine people were hurt, including two who were seriously injured and taken to the hospital. The bloodied faces on the video are shocking.

This kind of behavior by a foreign security detail is reprehensible and cannot be tolerated. These actions are not only criminal, they are affronts to U.S. values. Freedom of speech and freedom to protest may be prohibited in Turkey and offensive to the Turkish President, but they are bedrock U.S. principles that must be safeguarded.

Although the State Department’s spokesperson has issued a statement on this matter, more must be done. It is incumbent upon you, as the top diplomat of the United States, to speak out publicly against these actions and, just as importantly, ensure that these men are held fully accountable for their actions.

Rhode Island Senate Bill Mandates Armenian Genocide Instruction in Public Schools

June 10, 2016 by administrator

RhodePROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Rhode Island Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would mandate the teaching of the Holocaust and other genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, in public middle schools and high schools across the state.

The Providence Journal http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160608/bill-mandating-holocaust-genocide-instruction-advances-in-ri-senate/?Start=1reported that the bill passed unanimously and along with the Armenian Genocide would include curriculum on the Cambodia, Rwanda and Darfur genocides.

If approved, teaching is required to begin in the 2017-18 school year. The House passed a duplicate bill in early May, reported the Providence Journal.

A coalition made up of members of the Armenian community, Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island State Council of Churches, the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center have been meeting since last fall to research and draft the legislation.

The lead sponsor of the bill is Sen. Gayle L. Goldin, D-Providence, who said on Monday: “When we look at what’s going on globally, the impact of war and strife, it’s important to place them in a larger historical context, so our children understand the long-term impact of genocides and the Holocaust, so we don’t repeat that history.”

Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush, D-Pawtucket, North Providence, said her district was recently hit by anti-Semitism: a spray-painted swastika was found outside an Orthodox synagogue in Pawtucket.

“There is no room for that kind of hatred in our communities,” Nesselbush said before the vote, “and we will do everything, in addition to this bill, to root it out of our communities.”

Similar measures have been passed or enacted in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

BREAKING NEWS Senate Democrats clear way for Iran nuclear deal

September 10, 2015 by administrator

Thursday, September 10, 2015 4:08 PM EDT
Senate Democrats delivered a major victory to President Obama on Thursday when they blocked a Republican resolution to reject a six-nation nuclear accord with Iran, ensuring that the landmark deal will take effect without a veto showdown between Congress and the White House.
A procedural vote fell short of the number needed to break a Democratic filibuster. It culminated hours of debate on the Senate floor and capped months of discord since the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China announced the agreement with Iran in July.
Debate over the accord divided Democrats between their loyalties to the president and their constituents, especially Jewish ones, animated the antiwar movement on the left and exposed the waning power of the Israeli lobbying force that spent millions to prevent the accord.

Source: NYTimes

US Senate appropriators reaffirm support for Karabakh aid program

July 10, 2015 by administrator

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today – following the lead of Senator Mark Kirk – voiced their continued support for direct U.S. aid to Nagorno Karabakh, a program that has, with bipartisan backing, provided humanitarian aid to the citizens of the Nagorno- Karabakh Republic since 1998, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We want to thank Senator Mark Kirk for his leadership in support of the Nagorno Karabakh aid program,” said ANCA Chairman, and Illinois resident, Ken Hachikian. “ This aid program meets pressing humanitarian needs and stands as a powerful statement of American solidarity with the democratic aspirations of the citizens of Artsakh. We were very pleased that Senator Kirk was able to work so successfully with Chairman Graham and his other colleagues on this vital matter.”

The report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill states that: “ The Committee recommends assistance for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict. The Committee urges a peaceful resolution of the conflict.” The legislators also approved report language stressing the importance of continuing and expanding demining efforts in the interior (non-border) regions of Artsakh, including in farmlands and residential areas previously considered off-limits. “The Committee recognizes that Nagorno-Karabakh has a per capita landmine accident rate among the highest in the world, and that mine clearance programs have been effective where implemented. The Committee is concerned with territorial restrictions placed on demining activities in the region and recommends continued funding for, and the geographic expansion of, such programs.”

The Appropriations Committee, in a departure from a recent trend away from setting country-specific aid levels, made specific recommendation of $20.06 million in economic aid to Armenia, $1.7 million in foreign military financing and $600,000 for International Military Education and Training (IMET). Azerbaijan and Georgia were allocated $8.778 million and $54 million in economic assistance, respectively. As in previous years, Senate Appropriators called for parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The report makes special mention that the Appropriations Committee is concerned about “ democracy, human rights, and corruption in Azerbaijan,” and calls for the State Department to submit a report detailing their efforts to seek the “release of prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan, including Khadija Ismayilova, Anar Mammadli, Leyla and Arif Yunus, Rasul Jafarov, and Initigam Aliyev.” These concerns were echoed in a letter to Azerbaijani President Aliyev, spearheaded by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and cosigned by over 15 Senate colleagues, calling for a “more tolerant environment for free media like RFE/RL and to immediately release those journalists, activists and civil society leaders currently detained.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee addressed the ongoing crisis in Syria with a $195 million allocation for in-country efforts and additional funds for ongoing refugee assistance in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The in-Syria assistance will also fund a “ new program to build the capacity of Syrian diaspora-led organizations and local Syrian civil society to address the immediate and long-term needs of the Syrian people inside Syria.” Armenia was not identified as a specific target for assistance to help transition those fleeing Syrian conflict, despite the fact that as many as 17,000 have fled to Syria to Armenia.

Utah Senate Welcomes Armenian Community; Praises NER Efforts

March 6, 2015 by administrator

Utah Senate Welcomes Armenian Community

March 6, 2015 – Utah State Senator Brian Shiozawa welcomed Utah Armenian community leaders and the ANCA Western Region’s Simon Maghakyan during a Senate floor presentation.

Sen. Shiozawa noted that the delegation was there to foster closer ties between Utah and the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. He went on to cite Utah’s proud history of support for Near East Relief efforts to assist orphaned victims of the Armenian Genocide, including a $34,000 pledge by the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Shiozawa concluded his presentation by asking fellow Senators to join him in marking the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and support ongoing efforts to secure a just resolution of that crime.

Colorado Senate Kills Pro-Baku Resolution In Presence of Azeri Consul General

January 29, 2015 by administrator

DENVER, Colo.- Only moments before a scheduled vote on Thursday, the Colorado State Senate pulled from consideration a controversial measure (Resolution SJR 15-006) which would have, in the presence of a visiting Azerbaijani diplomat, praised “the strategic partnership between the United States of America and the Republic of Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR).

Sources from the State Capitol report the co-sponsor of the resolution, Senator Larry Crowder, agreed to withdraw the resolution from Thursday’s vote schedule. The resolution has been rescheduled for a vote on May 15, 2015; the Legislature however adjourns on May 7, 2015 thus effectively signaling its defeat.

Prior to withdrawing the resolution from a vote, however, Senator Crowder took the floor and, in a move that confused many Colorado citizens, acknowledged the presence of Nasimi Aghayev the Consul General of Azerbaijan, paying tribute to a regime in Azerbaijan that is widely criticized as a leading violator of human rights. Aghayev surely expected to return to his office in Los Angeles boasting of a legislative victory in Colorado. No such opportunity was even afforded.

ANCA WR Community Development Coordinator Simon Maghakyan and Armenians of Colorado President Sona Hedeshian

“The speed and power of our grassroots’ mobilization in Colorado against the continued, albeit unsuccessful, attempts from the Azerbaijani lobby to shamefully introduce legislation that blatantly misrepresents facts is a real testament to our community’s and organization’s resolve to pursue truth and justice for our Cause,” remarked ANCA-WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan. “We are pleased that Colorado joins Hawaii, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming in affirming that it too is not for sale to the oil-rich and corrupt regime of Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijan. We were particularly gratified to see Senator Crowder reconsider and ultimately withdraw the resolution after gaining a fuller understanding of the facts about Azerbaijan’s domestic abuses and foreign aggression,” added Asatryan.

In the days leading up to today’s vote, ANCA-WR worked with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators about the corrupt and authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the country’s gross human rights violations, coverage of which has increased in the American press most recently in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, under the headlines, “A Thuggish Regime Challenges the U.S.” and “The Two Faces of Azerbaijan’s Mr. Aliyev” respectively.

More specifically, on Monday, January 26 ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan submitted a written statement to the Colorado State Senate voicing strong opposition to SJR15-006, noting the proposed resolution’s blatant misrepresentation of the truth with respect to the Republic of Azerbaijan, U.S.- Azeri relations and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Wednesday January 28th, ANCA-WR also issued an action alert, through which Coloradans were actively writing to and calling State Senator Larry Crowder and key state legislators urging that they VOTE NO on SJR15-006.

Upon learning of the resolution, which includes an incorrect citation that the United States recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the President of Armenians of Colorado, Sona Hedeshian, along with many others quickly reached out to their elected officials urging them to reconsider the vote. “We deeply appreciate that our elected officials took the time to hear our concerns. Hopefully, we will not find ourselves in similar situations in the future,” stated Hedeshian.

Dr. Ken Touryan, a resident of Denver, Colorado, thanked Colorado Senator Kevin Lundberg and the Republican leadership for carefully reviewing the inaccuracies of the proposed resolution and deciding to effectively withdraw it.

“I was shocked that our Colorado state legislature would even consider honoring a dictatorship that threatens Armenia on a daily basis. The defeated resolution would have contradicted Colorado’s staunch support for Armenian issues going back to WWI, including a 1921 joint unanimous resolution on assisting the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and providing support for the Armenian Republic,” stated an active member of Armenians of Colorado, Kim Christianian.

“We are grateful for the collective efforts of the ANCA-WR and for the concerned citizens of Colorado who worked with their elected representatives to help prevent the adoption of an erroneous motion in the Colorado State Legislature,” expressed Robert Avetisyan, Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the United States. “Unfortunately, legislatures across the U.S, are often misguided by biased and one-sided information about Artsakh, which distorts the historical facts and current realities. It is very important that Armenians and all supporters of truth continue sharing objective information regarding the NKR,” he added.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Calif. Senate Recognizes Artsakh’s Independence

August 27, 2014 by administrator

From Left: ANCA WR Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian, ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan, incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, ANCA WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, author of AJR 32 Assemblymember Mike Gatto, Senator Ricardo Lara, ANCA WR Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan

SACRAMENTO—The California State Senate, led by incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, by an overwhelming majority of votes on Wednesday passed Assembly member Mike Gatto’s resolution, AJR 32, encouraging Artsakh’s (Nagorno Karabakh) continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation and formally calling upon the upon the President and Congress of the United States to support the self-determination and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region. Though the resolution has officially passed, the finally tally will not be available until early tomorrow morning as Senators absent from the floor during the vote have until the end of the day to cast their vote.

In his opening remarks, Senator De Leon recognized the presence of ANCA WR and ACA in support of the resolution, provided background information on the resolution and the region, and continued on to state, “The ethnic Armenian people in this region have suffered tremendously and deserve a free and independent homeland where they won’t be in danger of persecution. California can be a front line leader that seeks to motivate change in the world…With that in mind, I ask you to support democracy, freedom, a people’s resolution to conflicts and international recognition and recognition of Artsakh,”

His remarks and sentiments were echoed by fellow colleagues Senators Tom Berryhill and Ricardo Lara.

“As Americans, we should understand the desire to be an independent nation, free of tyranny and free to form a government that best reflects our values. It is our own history. Many times on this floor we address the plight of the oppressed and express our desire, as a state legislature, for people to be free and to be able to determine their own destinies. AJR 32 is no different. The peoples of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic did not elect to become part of Azerbaijan in 1921; they were forced into it by the Soviets. It is now their understandable desire to be free. Since declaring its independence Nagorno-Karabakh has held free, transparent and democratic elections. It is fitting that the United States stands behind regions seeking democracy. I urge your Aye vote,” stated Senator Berryhill.

“I rise today to speak in strong support of this important resolution, which encourages and supports the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation. The resolution states that this region has historically been Armenian territory, populated by an overwhelming majority of Armenians, and yet was illegally severed from Armenia by the Soviet Union in 1921. Senate District 33 is home to a thriving and vibrant Armenian community – people who have embraced important American values of freedom, democracy, and justice. This resolution asks the President and Congress to extend those fundamental values to the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and encourages their continued development as a free and independent nation. I ask for your support of this important resolution,” stated Senator Lara.

AJR 32 was adopted by the CA State Assembly in May 2014 by a sweeping vote of 70 to 2 under the leadership of Speaker Emeritus John Perez.

“Today, under the great leadership of incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon and Assemblymember Mike Gatto, the State of California stood strong on our nation’s core values of liberty, freedom and independence for the people of Artsakh. We are extremely grateful to the CA Senate for their resounding support of this resolution and Artsakh’s need to develop as a free and independent nation,” stated ANCA WR Chair, Nora Hovsepian. “ We, along with our grassroots, are proud to have worked alongside Senator De Leon and Assembly members Mike Gatto, Katcho Achadjian, Adrin Nazarian, John Perez, and Scott Wilk in making today’s victory possible and thank them profoundly for their unwavering leadership towards advancing a cause that is so dear to all of us,” added Hovsepian.

California is home to tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans who are refugees of pogroms against Armenians in Sumgait (1988), Kirovabad (1988), and Baku (1990), and the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan. Dozens of refugees from the region, many from the Shahumian district of Artsakh, were present for the historic vote along with representatives from the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region and the Armenian Council of America.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) worked closely with Senator De Leon’s office as well as the author, Assemblyman Mike Gatto, Co-Author Katcho Achadjian, and Assembly members Adrin Nazarian and Scott Wilk to garner support for the resolution. In weeks and days leading up to the vote, aside from having their Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan and Legislative Affairs Director Haig Baghdassarian work day-in and day-out with local activists to educate officials about the resolution and the issues in the region, the ANCA WR also activated its grassroots in sending letters and making calls to elected officials, urging them to support AJR 32.

“The passage of this important resolution was a long and challenging journey that started with the introduction of this resolution back in January. We worked so hard to make it move forward, and we are so proud today that the California State Senate stood with me in support of the people of Artsakh in their ongoing quest for freedom, democracy, and independence,” stated lead author of AJR 32, Assemblymember Mike Gatto.

“This resolution couldn’t have come at a better time, given the recent escalated level of violence along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border, and as our freedom fighters continue to defend their right to live under a government of their own choosing. The people of Artsakh deserve nothing less and need this support now, more than ever before,” stated ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan.

The State of California now joins Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Louisiana in adopting legislation which supports the independence of Artsakh.

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House and Senate appropriators adopt U.S. funding measures to Armenia and Karabakh

June 25, 2014 by administrator

June 25, 2014 | 15:57

WASHINGTON, DC. – The House Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Bill, which covers U.S. economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to the South Caucasus, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

Specific funding levels to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Nagorno-Karabakh were not delineated in the bill.

The House bill was similar to the Senate version, which was approved last week. Both bills maintained Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, restating the six customary exemptions for humanitarian and other assistance to Azerbaijan. Section 907 was enacted in 1992 and requires the Government of Azerbaijan to take “demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force” against Armenia and Artsakh.

However, the Senate report language, unlike the House, specifically highlighted funding to Nagorno-Karabakh as follows: “The Committee recommends assistance for victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in amounts consistent with prior years, and for ongoing needs related to the conflict.”

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told the Assembly that “continued assistance for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh remains an important priority.” Commenting on the House bill, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, stated, “I am disappointed that we could not reach agreement on language underscoring the need for humanitarian assistance in Nagorno-Karabakh. We must continue to fight for this assistance as the bill moves through the legislative process to ensure the best possible outcome for our allies Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Given the bellicose language and attacks coming from Azerbaijan on a daily basis, this aid is absolutely critical for the freedom, prosperity and self-determination of those in the region,” Schiff told the Assembly.

The House and Senate FY 2015 SFOPS bills each totaled approximately $48 billion, which is some $700 million below the enacted FY 2014 level, and roughly $280 million less than the President’s FY 2015 request.

The Administration’s budget calls for $1.7 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $600,000 in International Military Education Training (IMET) for Armenia and Azerbaijan. This amounts to a reduction of $1 million for FMF from last year’s budget request, however IMET funding is consistent with past years and military parity is maintained between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In addition to FMF and IMET assistance, the Administration’s FY 2015 budget also recommended that Armenia receive $20.7 million in Economic Support Funds (compared to the FY 2014 request of $24.7 million), and $1.7 million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (compared to the FY 2014 request of $2.8 million). The Administration’s budget also zeroed out global health funding for Armenia. In total, the FY 2015 budget provides $24.7 million in U.S. assistance to Armenia, which is a $6.143 million reduction when compared to the Administration’s FY 2014 request of $30.843 million.

Earlier this year, the Assembly submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, stressing the importance of U.S. assistance to Artsakh as well as Armenia, and the much needed humanitarian assistance for Armenians in, and those fleeing, Syria. Additionally, the Assembly’s testimony highlighted the inexplicable pardon of a convicted Azeri officer who brutally murdered an Armenian officer at a NATO partnership for peace training exercise and urged that the Subcommittee cease military assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Given Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Armenia and the escalating security threats from Azerbaijan, coupled with the unconscionable pardon by Azerbaijan of a convicted axe murderer, as well as other regional developments, the Assembly urges Congress to ensure robust aid to Armenia and Artsakh,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Moreover, with the latest developments in Syria and Iraq, the Assembly also urges Congress to take immediate action to provide humanitarian relief to the Christian Armenian community there,” Ardouny stated.

After both measures pass their respective chambers, the next step in the legislative process involves the creation of an Appropriations conference committee, whose members will work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill before sending it to the President for him to sign into law.

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