Over 65 Congress Members Call on House to Allocate $100 Million in Aid to Armenia and Artsakh

A bipartisan group of 65 members from the U.S. House of Representatives has joined the Armenian Caucus in calling for $100 million in financial aid to be allocated to Armenia and Artsakh in the wake of last year's devastating Turkish-Azerbaijani attacks.

According to the Armenian National Committee of America, the U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairwoman Barbara Lee and Ranking Member Hal Rogers, as the drafting of the fiscal year 2022 foreign assistance bill is set to begin.

In the letter, Congress members Frank Pallone, Jackie Speier, and Adam Schiff stated: “The assistance provided to Armenia and Artsakh in the fiscal year 2022 is crucial for supporting the people in achieving a more secure future, advancing democracy, ensuring sustainable economic development, and combating COVID-19.”

The lawmakers are urging that within the $100 million framework, $2 million be designated for a program to eliminate weapons in Nagorno-Karabakh. Additionally, they are calling for a suspension of U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan until the country guarantees that it will halt attacks against Armenia and Artsakh.