HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS REJECTED U.S. ADMINITSTRATION’S PROPOSAL TO CUT FUNDING TO ARMENIA
NOYAN TAPAN
JU LY 18
The House Foreign Operations Subcommittee approved million in
assistance to Armenia and million for Nagorno Karabakh, as well as
million in Foreign Military Financing for Armenia and Azerbaijan,
reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
The Bush Administration initially proposed to cut funding to Armenia
by nearly 60 percent from .5 million in FY 2008, to a proposed level
of million in FY 2009. In addition, the Administration had requested
that million of the funds to Armenia allocated in FY 2007, be directed
out of Armenia, which triggered a response by Congressmen Adam Schiff
(D-CA) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). In a letter sent to House Foreign
Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking
Member Frank Wolf (R-VA), they urged that funding be re-programmed
to support democracy efforts in Armenia: "As friends of Armenia, and
more importantly, as advocates of democracy, we urge you to support
the transfer of funds to help nurture Armenia’s democracy as opposed
to stifling it. Armenia would benefit greatly from more democracy
and good governance programming."
The Assembly commends the efforts of Congressman Knollenberg (R-MI)
for sending a strong message regarding Azerbaijan’s continued war
rhetoric during today’s consideration of the House Foreign Operations
Appropriations Bill. The Knollenberg amendment sought to zero out
military funding for Azerbaijan. The amendment was not approved by
a vote of 7 in favor and 8 against.