ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA REPRESENTATIVES AND U. S. LAWMAKERS
DISCUSS U. S. – ARMENIA RELATIONS
DeFacto, Armenia
Oct 19 2006
With Congress in recess until after the November elections, the
Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) stepped up its advocacy efforts,
meeting with several lawmakers to promote Armenian-American concerns.
According to the information DE FACTO Information-Analytics Agency
received at the AAA, Board of Trustees Executive Committee Member
Annie Totah, along with Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny,
met with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to discuss the U.S.-Armenia
relationship as well as key issues such as reaffirmation of the
Armenian Genocide. Cantwell, who is serving her first term in office,
is a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S. Res. 320).
Totah and Ardouny also met with Armenian Caucus Member Representative
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), an avid supporter of Armenian issues including
the South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act (H.R.
3361) and the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H. Res. 316). This past
summer Maloney spearheaded a letter to the European Union expressing
concern regarding Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.
In her letter, Maloney urged the European Commission to consider
Turkey’s stance on the Armenian Genocide and the ongoing blockade,
which impairs the regional stability of the South Caucasus in
consideration of its membership into the European Union. Maloney is
a Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee as well as a member
of the Financial Services and Government Reform Committees and serves
as a co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus. Totah and Ardouny thanked the
Congresswoman for her strong support of the Armenian community.
Additionally, Totah and Ardouny met with Armenian Caucus Members
Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Edward Royce (R-CA)
and thanked the Representatives for their support of H.R. 3361, a
bill prohibiting U.S. funding for a rail link that connects Baku,
Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey while bypassing
Armenia. They also commended the lawmakers for sponsoring an
amendment ensuring that no Export-Import money is spent on efforts
that would isolate Armenia from economic and regional transportation
opportunities. A similar amendment was adopted by the Senate Banking,
Housing and Urban Affairs Committee with strong Assembly support.
"We thank Senator Cantwell for her receptiveness to the concerns of
the Armenian-American community, and we look forward to working with
her and her staff in promoting Armenian concerns," said Totah.
"Additionally, we thank Representatives Crowley, Maloney, Royce and
Sherman for their continued support and work on the federal level
for the Armenian community."