FIFTY HOUSE MEMBERS CALL ON FOREIGN AID APPROPRIATORS TO MAINTAIN
MILITARY AID PARITY TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 17 2006
Reps. Pallone and Radanovich spearhead campaign calling for $75
million in U.S. aid to Armenia; Continued Aid to Karabagh WASHINGTON,
DC Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA)
were joined by forty-eight of their House colleagues today in
urging 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)
[Ho. He. Dashnaktsutyan Washington-ee Hai Tahd-ee Krasenyag].
Members of Congress cosigned a letter, addressed to the panel’s
Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), which
would strengthen 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.
Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Radanovich
in cosigning the letter included: Reps. Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert
Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael
Bilirakis (R-FL), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Dennis
Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Joseph Crowley
(D-NY), William Delahunt (D-MA), David Dreier (R- CA), Chaka Fattah
(D-PA), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Barney Frank (D- MA), Scott Garrett
(R-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Dale Kildee (D-MI),
James Langevin (D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ),
Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA),
Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA),
John McHugh (R-NY), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Grace
Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Bobby
Rush (D-IL), H. James Saxton (R-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz
(R-MI), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Rob Simmons
(R-CT), Mark Souder (R-IN), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Diane Watson (D-CA),
Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
Representatives Knollenberg, Pallone, and Rothman also submitted
individual letters citing their foreign aid priorities for Armenia
and Nagorno Karabagh, among other countries.
The House Foreign Operations panel is set to review the FY2007 foreign
aid bill, which will then be considered by the full Appropriations
Committee and then the full U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate
will finalize its own version, which will be reconciled with the
House bill by a conference committee.
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