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HOUSE FOREIGN AID PANEL APPROVES NEARLY $68 MILLION FOR ARMENIA FOR FY 2006
WASHINGTON, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Assembly of America
praised members of a key House Appropriations Subcommittee on June
16 for maintaining robust aid levels to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
despite ongoing overall reductions to former Soviet states. The
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill,
which lawmakers passed by voice vote, calls for $67.5 million for
Armenia, up to $5 million for Nagorno Karabakh and maintains military
assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan with $5.75 million
allocated to each country. "Given the current budget restraints, we
appreciate the leadership of Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) and commend Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and his Subcommittee
for securing this assistance to Armenia and Karabakh," said Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "We also thank Ranking Member Nita
Lowey (D-NY) for her steadfast support." "We want to express our
appreciation to Congressman Joe Knollenberg for his advocacy within
the Subcommittee, to thank Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Member
Nita Lowey for their leadership, and to share our gratitude for the
support of Steve Rothman, John Sweeney, Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson,
Jr., Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, and our other friends on this
vitally important panel," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director
of the Armenian National Committee of America. "We were, of course,
especially pleased to see that, consistent with the President's budget
request, the Subcommittee contributed to the continued stability
of the Caucasus by appropriating aid directly to Nagorno Karabagh,
and maintaining parity in military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. We
also appreciate the efforts of our friends, in the face of overall
reductions in aid to the region, to increase Armenia's assistance above
the level proposed by the President, and look forward to action by the
Senate - and later in conference committee - to bring this figure to at
least last year's figure of $75 million," added Hamparian. The level of
funding for Armenia is $12.5 million above the Bush Administration's
request submitted to Congress earlier this year. The overall request
level is part of a continued trend that reflects a serious drop
in U.S. assistance to the former Soviet states - specifically from
$555 million in FY 2005 to $477 million for FY 2006. The action also
allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing and $750,000 for
International Military Education and Training to both Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as requested by the Bush Administration. These funds will
improve inter-operability between Armenia's military and its Western
partners, upgrade Armenia's communication systems and better its
personnel training. On April 18th of this year, Representative George
Radanovich (R-CA) and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) sent a letter to the leadership of the Subcommittee,
cosigned by 43 of their House colleagues, calling for an earmark
of at least $75 million for Armenia; maintaining the President's
request for equal levels of military aid for Armenia and Azerbaijan;
an additional $5 million in direct aid to Nagorno Karabagh for fiscal
year 2006, and; keeping in place the Section 907 restriction on aid
to Azerbaijan. The bill will next be considered by the full House
Appropriations Committee. Once the full House and Senate complete
action on their version of the bill, a joint House-Senate Conference
Committee will reconcile the differences.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
WASHINGTON, JUNE 17, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Assembly of America
praised members of a key House Appropriations Subcommittee on June
16 for maintaining robust aid levels to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
despite ongoing overall reductions to former Soviet states. The
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill,
which lawmakers passed by voice vote, calls for $67.5 million for
Armenia, up to $5 million for Nagorno Karabakh and maintains military
assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan with $5.75 million
allocated to each country. "Given the current budget restraints, we
appreciate the leadership of Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) and commend Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and his Subcommittee
for securing this assistance to Armenia and Karabakh," said Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "We also thank Ranking Member Nita
Lowey (D-NY) for her steadfast support." "We want to express our
appreciation to Congressman Joe Knollenberg for his advocacy within
the Subcommittee, to thank Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Member
Nita Lowey for their leadership, and to share our gratitude for the
support of Steve Rothman, John Sweeney, Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson,
Jr., Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, and our other friends on this
vitally important panel," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director
of the Armenian National Committee of America. "We were, of course,
especially pleased to see that, consistent with the President's budget
request, the Subcommittee contributed to the continued stability
of the Caucasus by appropriating aid directly to Nagorno Karabagh,
and maintaining parity in military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. We
also appreciate the efforts of our friends, in the face of overall
reductions in aid to the region, to increase Armenia's assistance above
the level proposed by the President, and look forward to action by the
Senate - and later in conference committee - to bring this figure to at
least last year's figure of $75 million," added Hamparian. The level of
funding for Armenia is $12.5 million above the Bush Administration's
request submitted to Congress earlier this year. The overall request
level is part of a continued trend that reflects a serious drop
in U.S. assistance to the former Soviet states - specifically from
$555 million in FY 2005 to $477 million for FY 2006. The action also
allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing and $750,000 for
International Military Education and Training to both Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as requested by the Bush Administration. These funds will
improve inter-operability between Armenia's military and its Western
partners, upgrade Armenia's communication systems and better its
personnel training. On April 18th of this year, Representative George
Radanovich (R-CA) and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) sent a letter to the leadership of the Subcommittee,
cosigned by 43 of their House colleagues, calling for an earmark
of at least $75 million for Armenia; maintaining the President's
request for equal levels of military aid for Armenia and Azerbaijan;
an additional $5 million in direct aid to Nagorno Karabagh for fiscal
year 2006, and; keeping in place the Section 907 restriction on aid
to Azerbaijan. The bill will next be considered by the full House
Appropriations Committee. Once the full House and Senate complete
action on their version of the bill, a joint House-Senate Conference
Committee will reconcile the differences.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress