REPS. PALLONE AND RADANOVICH RALLY COLLEAGUES IN SUPPORT OF PRO-ARMENIAN PROVISIONS IN FOREIGN AID BILL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 13 2006
WASHINGTON, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Congressmen
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA) called on their
U.S. House colleagues to join them in cosigning a letter calling on
the leadership of the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support
pro-Armenian provisions in the fiscal year 2007 foreign aid bill,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). This
bipartisan expression of support, addressed to the panel’s Chairman
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), strengthens
the hand of pro-Armenian members of the Subcommittee, most notably
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, Steve Rothman (D-NJ),
Mark Kirk (R-IL), and John Sweeney (R-NY). Rep. Sweeney, who joined
the panel last year, is one of only two Members of Congress of
Armenian heritage. The letter notes that members of Congress are
“deeply troubled” that the Administration’s request for military aid
for Azerbaijan is considerably higher then the request for Armenia. By
signing the letter, legislators will add their voice to the effort to
ensure that the agreement struck in 2001 between the White House and
Congress to keep aid levels to these two countries equal is fully
respected. In addition, the letter calls for a hard earmark of at
least $75 million for Armenia, a one-year $5 million allocation for
Nagorno Karabagh, and the preservation of Section 907 of the Freedom
Support Act. “We want to thank Congressmen Radanovich and Pallone in
urging the Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support provisions in the
fiscal year 2007 foreign aid bill of special importance to Armenian
Americans,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We also
value the advocacy for pro-Armenian issues from within this panel
by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, the leadership of
Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey, and the support of
Representatives Steve Rothman, John Sweeney, Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson,
Jr., Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, and our other friends.”