FIFTY HOUSE MEMBERS CALL ON FOREIGN AID APPROPRIATORS TO MAINTAIN
MILITARY AID PARITY TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

WASHINGTON, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Congressmen
Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA) were joined by
forty-eight of their House colleagues 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).

Members of Congress cosigned on March 16 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 million
for Armenia, a one-year 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.