Congress amendment requires report on U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. House has adopted an ANCA-backed amendment introduced by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), directing the U.S. Department of State in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to:

1) document the State Department’s consideration of all waiver requirements of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act

2) report on whether U.S. security assistance to the government of Azerbaijan undermines efforts toward a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and

3) provide an assessment of Azerbaijan’s use of offensive force against Armenia or violations of Armenian sovereign territory from November 11, 2020, to the date of the enactment of this Act.

The amendment (#337) was adopted as part of "en bloc 3" - a larger grouping of amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900) - by a vote of 362 to 64. Joining Rep. Speier as congressional cosponsors of the bi-partisan measure include Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

The House of Representatives earlier passed another amendment calling for an investigation into Azerbaijani war crimes against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).