Armenian Protection Act, aimed at stopping U.S. military aid to  Azerbaija, introduced to U.S. House of Representatives

ArmInfo. The Armenian Protection Act, a bill aimed at stopping U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, has been introduced  to the U.S. House of Representatives, the Armenian Assembly of America reports.

"The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomed the 

introduction of bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Rep. Mike 

Lawler (R-NY), along with Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Rep. Gus 

Bilirakis (R-FL), and Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), for the Armenian 

Protection Act, which repeals the waiver authority to Section 907 of 

the FREEDOM Support Act. 

Section 907 states that U.S. funds "may not be provided to the 

Government of Azerbaijan until the President determines and so 

reports to the Congress, that the Government of Azerbaijan is taking 

demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of 

force against Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh." In the aftermath of 

September 11, a conditional waiver was added to exempt Azerbaijan 

from Section 907 if certain criteria were met and certified by the 

 Administration.  The introduction of this Act comes as the Senate 

adopted by voice vote S.3000, also known as the Armenian Protection 

Act, led by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senator Marco Rubio 

(R-FL). Senator Peters, who traveled to Armenia in September of 2023, 

emphasized his support for the Armenian people during the Assembly's 

Fall 2023 Advocacy Summit, where he stated that he would encourage 

more of his colleagues in the Senate "to support the Armenian people" 

and for "repercussions" to take place against Azerbaijan's Aliyev 

regime.

"We applaud Rep. Lawler, along with his colleagues Reps. Pallone, 

Bilirakis, and Amo for this bipartisan measure," said Assembly 

Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan. "Azerbaijan should 

be sanctioned, not rewarded, for its genocidal policies against the 

Armenian people," Khaloyan added," the source notes.

"Aliyev broke international law when he ordered his deadly assault of 

Artsakh last year. He still has not faced any meaningful consequences 

for his genocidal campaign that has displaced 120,000 Armenians from 

their historic homeland even though it was clear an attack was 

imminent," Rep. Frank Pallone wrote on X.

"It's past time for the U.S. take action to hold Aliyev accountable. 

That's why I'm the leading Democrat on the Armenian Protection Act, 

which will halt all further U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan 

and require proof that they can be a trustworthy party in peace 

negotiations," the Congressman added.