Thursday, July 29 2021 01:59

ArmInfo.The U.S. House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to restrict U.S. foreign military financing and training assistance to Azerbaijan, passing a bipartisan, ANCA-backed amendment led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and twenty of his House colleagues.

As the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reports, the  vote sends a powerful signal to Azerbaijan's dictatorial Aliyev  regime that their ongoing aggression against Armenia and Artsakh will  not be rewarded with U.S. taxpayer-funded military assistance.  

"The House today took a principled, bipartisan stand against  Azerbaijan - overwhelmingly voting down U.S. military aid in response  to Baku's ethnic-cleansing of Artsakh and ongoing aggression against  Armenia," said ANCA Chair Raffi Hamparian.  

"With power and purpose, the ANCA will continue our legislative   advocacy until not a single U.S. tax dollar is sent to the army of  the rogue, racist oil-rich dictator of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev." The  Pallone Amendment states, "None of the funds appropriated or  otherwise made available by this Act [H.R.4373] under 'International  Military Education and Training' and 'Foreign Military Financing  Program' may be made available for Azerbaijan."  

The provision does not block discretionary military equipment, which  may be transferred by the Department of Defense under U.S. laws  Section 333.  

The ANCA is working with Senate and House Members of the Armed  Services Committee to address those concerns by strengthening Section  907 restrictions on U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.  Congressional   Armenian Caucus leaders Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL),  Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), and David Valadao (R-CA)  were joined by the following House members as cosponsors of the  amendment: Representatives Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA),  David Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Jared  Huffman (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Raja Krishnamoorthi  (D-IL), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Andy Levin (D-MI), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),  Devin Nunes (R-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and  Dina Titus (D- NV).  

The House vote on the Pallone amendment was included in a bi-partisan  series of amendments voted "en bloc," and overwhelmingly adopted. The  House will vote on the broader Fiscal Year 2022 Foreign Aid Bill  (H.R.4373) later Wednesday night. 

That broader bill is accompanied by a report which calls for not less  than $50 million in U.S.  assistance to Armenia, "for economic  development, private sector productivity, energy independence,  democracy and the rule of law, and other purposes."  

It urges not less than $2 million for demining activities in Artsakh  (Nagorno-Karabakh).  The recommendation for U.S. assistance to  Armenia is over twice that requested by President Biden in his FY2022  proposed budget, which remains silent on U.S. assistance to Artsakh.  

With regard to President Biden's waiver of Section 907, the report  accompanying H.R.4373 states, "The Committee is concerned by the  disparity in military assistance provided to Azerbaijan in comparison  to Armenia that is enabled by the annual waiver of Section 907 of the  Freedom Support Act by the Secretary of State, including the most  recent waiver signed by the Secretary on April 23, 2021. 

The Committee directs the military balance between Azerbaijan and  Armenia and the diplomatic consequences of such disparity in military  assistance be considered by the Secretary in any decision with  respect to the renewal of the Section 907 waiver during fiscal year  2022."