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CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF DISCUSSES FOREIGN AID TO ARMENIA AND ARTSAKH FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013: INTERVIEW
ARMENPRESS
31 May, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: In a recent interview with the Armenian
Council of America (ACA), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) discussed
the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill for fiscal year
2013 and its impact on foreign assistance to the Republic of Armenia
and to Nagorno-Karabakh. As Armenpress reports, the following is a
transcript of the interview:
ACA: Congressman, thank you for taking the time to speak with us
today. Can you briefly discuss the State and Foreign Operations
Appropriations Bill and how it will guarantee foreign aid to Armenia.
Will that also include Nagorno-Karabakh?
Congressman Schiff: Sure and the answer is Yes. We were successful
in maintaining a strong level of support for Armenia. Most of the
foreign aid is being cut this year as a result of our diminished
budget resources and foreign aid took a bigger cut than most of the
other parts of the U.S. budget. But nonetheless, we were able to
maintain the same level of funding for Armenia of about $40 million
in the economic support funds. This was a very good victory.
In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh we were even more successful. In the
past, we have allocated funding only to see the State Department not
use much of the funding that we have provided. This year, we included
language requiring the State Department to invest at least $5 million
in helping with some of the humanitarian concerns in Artsakh and that
was incorporated in the Bill and that more than doubles assistance
to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Finally, we followed up on a meeting I had with the President of the
Republic of Georgia where I raised the issue of some of the Armenian
enclaves in that country and the needs of the Armenian community
there. He expressed a willingness to work with us and make sure to
use the resources that we're helping provide to improve the quality
of life in those areas. This is now reflected in the State Department
and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill where we have language
requiring the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID to assess
the situation in those communities and develop an aid plan to help
those areas. So in each of the three areas we focused on, we were
very successful.ACA: What would you say to those who are opponents
of foreign aid to Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh?
CS: Foreign assistance is a very small part of our budget. Most people
think it represents 10 percent or 15 percent of our budget, but it's
a tiny fraction of that and I think it is very important. It is in
the highest ideals of the country that we help those that are less
fortunate. It is also in our national security interest that we don't
allow countries to become Stateless, potential havens for terrorism.
So I think that the American people have always been supportive. It
is much more difficult in strife economic times where there are a
lot of pressing needs at home, but this is why it is a very small
portion of our budget but I think an important one.
ACA: Being a long-time friend of the Armenian-American community and
advocate for Armenian Causes, what will you do to ensure that Armenia
will receive an adequate sum of foreign assistance?
CS: I have been working with the Armenian community and some of the
leader organizations to try to impress upon my colleagues in congress
the importance of moving forward with the language! we have included in
the Foreign Operations Bill. It certainly is a bigger challenge than
any one person or any one member of Congress, but we have a pretty
good team assembled. The Armenian Diaspora has been very effective in
making sure their voices are heard through an incredible grass-roots
campaign, reaching out, calling Members, faxing them and I hope they
will do the same when it comes to the Conference Committee.
But through this joint effort, we can work and fight for the best
resources available.
ACA: Congressman, do you have any last thoughts or messages that you
would like to convey to the Armenian-American community?
CS: We have had a very important success this session with the passage
of the Church's Resolution in the House which calls on Turkey to
observe human rights and restore and return confiscated church
properties to the Armenian church and that passed with a strong,
bipartisan vote. We are very pleased to have that legislative success,
as well as the good progress we are making on the aid picture.
I appreciate the friendship and good counsel and advice I get from
the community. It's really a pleasure to work and to represent the
community and I enjoy that very much.
ARMENPRESS
31 May, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS: In a recent interview with the Armenian
Council of America (ACA), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) discussed
the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill for fiscal year
2013 and its impact on foreign assistance to the Republic of Armenia
and to Nagorno-Karabakh. As Armenpress reports, the following is a
transcript of the interview:
ACA: Congressman, thank you for taking the time to speak with us
today. Can you briefly discuss the State and Foreign Operations
Appropriations Bill and how it will guarantee foreign aid to Armenia.
Will that also include Nagorno-Karabakh?
Congressman Schiff: Sure and the answer is Yes. We were successful
in maintaining a strong level of support for Armenia. Most of the
foreign aid is being cut this year as a result of our diminished
budget resources and foreign aid took a bigger cut than most of the
other parts of the U.S. budget. But nonetheless, we were able to
maintain the same level of funding for Armenia of about $40 million
in the economic support funds. This was a very good victory.
In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh we were even more successful. In the
past, we have allocated funding only to see the State Department not
use much of the funding that we have provided. This year, we included
language requiring the State Department to invest at least $5 million
in helping with some of the humanitarian concerns in Artsakh and that
was incorporated in the Bill and that more than doubles assistance
to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Finally, we followed up on a meeting I had with the President of the
Republic of Georgia where I raised the issue of some of the Armenian
enclaves in that country and the needs of the Armenian community
there. He expressed a willingness to work with us and make sure to
use the resources that we're helping provide to improve the quality
of life in those areas. This is now reflected in the State Department
and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill where we have language
requiring the Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID to assess
the situation in those communities and develop an aid plan to help
those areas. So in each of the three areas we focused on, we were
very successful.ACA: What would you say to those who are opponents
of foreign aid to Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh?
CS: Foreign assistance is a very small part of our budget. Most people
think it represents 10 percent or 15 percent of our budget, but it's
a tiny fraction of that and I think it is very important. It is in
the highest ideals of the country that we help those that are less
fortunate. It is also in our national security interest that we don't
allow countries to become Stateless, potential havens for terrorism.
So I think that the American people have always been supportive. It
is much more difficult in strife economic times where there are a
lot of pressing needs at home, but this is why it is a very small
portion of our budget but I think an important one.
ACA: Being a long-time friend of the Armenian-American community and
advocate for Armenian Causes, what will you do to ensure that Armenia
will receive an adequate sum of foreign assistance?
CS: I have been working with the Armenian community and some of the
leader organizations to try to impress upon my colleagues in congress
the importance of moving forward with the language! we have included in
the Foreign Operations Bill. It certainly is a bigger challenge than
any one person or any one member of Congress, but we have a pretty
good team assembled. The Armenian Diaspora has been very effective in
making sure their voices are heard through an incredible grass-roots
campaign, reaching out, calling Members, faxing them and I hope they
will do the same when it comes to the Conference Committee.
But through this joint effort, we can work and fight for the best
resources available.
ACA: Congressman, do you have any last thoughts or messages that you
would like to convey to the Armenian-American community?
CS: We have had a very important success this session with the passage
of the Church's Resolution in the House which calls on Turkey to
observe human rights and restore and return confiscated church
properties to the Armenian church and that passed with a strong,
bipartisan vote. We are very pleased to have that legislative success,
as well as the good progress we are making on the aid picture.
I appreciate the friendship and good counsel and advice I get from
the community. It's really a pleasure to work and to represent the
community and I enjoy that very much.