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NEWS

Dec 19, 2016
2 min

Armenian Assembly Discusses Priorities for 115th Congress with Caucus Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As legislators were completing work for the 114th Congress, Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) Executive Director Bryan Ardouny was on the Hill meeting with Members of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues this month recapping the year and discussing priorities for the 115th Congress. Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. During his meeting with Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep

Feb 10, 2016
2 min

White House Submits Budget to Congress

Armenian Assembly of America Advances Key Priorities for Armenia and Artsakh WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Barack Obama sent his budget recommendations for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) to Congress this week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) continues to advance key priorities for Armenia and Artsakh. In a recent meeting with State Department officials, Assembly leaders reiterated their concerns over Azerbaijan’s ongoing cease-fire violations, including the targeting o

Dec 24, 2015
3 min

Turkish Lobby in US Hits Record High in Campaign Donations

By Ragıp Soylu (Daily Sabah) – While Turkey and the United States are trying to maintain their bilateral relations amid the atmosphere of crises in the region with many tactical and ideological disagreements over issues such as the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and recent deployment of Turkish troops to Bashiqa, Iraq, Turkish-Americans have shown their financial presence on Capitol Hill. Turkish-American political action committees (PAC), the financial arm of

Dec 24, 2015
1 min

Statement on Inaccurate Reports of Nagorno-Karabakh's Removal from US Assistance

There have been inaccurate reports in the media, suggesting that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 budget agreement has removed direct US assistance to Nagorno Karabakh (NK). That is false. The Armenian Assembly of America is pleased to report that US aid to NK will continue as it has every year. The Assembly thanks Congress for ensuring this and other critical assistance to America’s allies in the region, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director

Dec 18, 2015
4 min

IDC Gathers Member of Congress & World Genocide Experts Demanding U.S. Recognize Christian Genocide

(prweb) – On December 16, 2015, IDC held a press conference on Capitol Hill because ISIS continues to commit genocide against Christians. “We are here today because ISIS continues to commit genocide against Christians, and because the White House is considering a public genocide declaration that would exclude Christians,” were the opening words of Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) early yesterday at a gathering of members of Congress and renowned scholars on genocide and the pli

Jul 29, 2015
3 min

Cyprus Still Occupied, Still Divided

By Mariam Khaloyan (@mariamkhaloyan) AAA News Blog July 29, 2015 The consequences of Turkey’s armed incursion of Cyprus in 1974 compound, to this day, a sore point in the modern history of the island: military invasion, division, demolition of human rights, extensive foreign settlements, social decay, and property seizure, and ethnic exclusion. This has been the status quo of the island for 41 years. Last week, the Armenian Assembly of America Terjenian-Thomas summer interns

Jun 22, 2015
3 min

Reps. Fortenberry, Eshoo, Denham Call on White House to Direct Assistance to Persecuted Christians

By Haig Hengen (@haighengen) AAANews Blog June 22, 2015 Last week, Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Jeff Denham (R-CA) issued a joint statement after meeting with the White House National Security team to urge assistance to persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. The lawmakers suggested a three-pillar approach, which follows the Armenian Assembly of America’s House Appropriations testimony earlier this year, such as huma

Jun 15, 2015
5 min

The Assembly Agenda: This Week in Washington DC: June 2-5, 2015

By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog June 2, 2015 Congress returns this week with a full slate, US aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh is under consideration, and Turkish parliamentary elections are slated for June 7. Welcome to the Assembly Agenda, your guide to Armenian American issues in Washington, DC. A lot has happened this year with the Armenian Genocide centennial commemorations taking place around the world. With everything going on, it’s easy to forget

Jun 4, 2015
4 min

Rubin: Turkey has become the Pakistan on the Mediterranean

By Haig Hengen (@haighengen) AAANews Blog The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa convened on June 3, 2015 to discuss US Policy towards ISIS after the terror group seized the Iraqi city Ramadi and Syrian city Palmyra. The subcommittee hearing was designed to discuss US military strategy in weakening ISIS as well as the current state of military and refugee affairs in Syria and Iraq. After seizing control of Ramadi and Palmyra

Mar 26, 2015
1 min

Assembly's Executive Director Testifies on Capitol Hill for FY2016

Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny yesterday running out the door to testify on Capitol Hill on Armenian American priorities for FY2016. You can read the Assembly’s full testimony here. #Congress #ArmenianAssemblyofAmerica #Armenian #Armenia #CapitolHill

Dec 18, 2014
7 min

The Assembly Agenda: This week in Washington, D.C. – December 18, 2014

By Taniel Koushakjian AAANews Blog Welcome to the last Assembly Agenda of 2014! Below is a full recap of what went down on Capitol Hill when the 113th Congress came to a close this week. While I explain the “Cromnibus,” new ambassadors head to Armenia and Azerbaijan, retiring Congressman Moran looks to line his pockets with Azeri petro-dollars, and Jeb Bush leans in, here’s the Assembly Agenda: your go-to source for Armenian American issues in Washington, DC. HOUSE: Last Frid

Dec 2, 2014
6 min

The Assembly Agenda: This week in Washington, D.C. – December 2, 2014

By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog HOUSE: The House returned to Washington on Monday to kick off the last ten legislative days left on the calendar. This gives legislators little time to approve “must-pass” legislation, such as passing a Continuing Resolution, or CR, to avoid a government shutdown before funding is set to expire on Friday, December 12. The CR for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 would fund the government at FY 2013 levels, given the fact that during FY20

Nov 25, 2014
3 min

Armenian Assembly of America, ANCA Discuss Armenian American Issues at Columbia University

(Stepan Atamian, Taniel Koushakjian, Haik Ter-Nersesyan, Armen Sahakyan, Aram Balian) By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog Last week, the Armenian Society of Columbia University in New York City hosted a panel discussion entitled “The Armenian Lobby: Challenges & Opportunities.” The discussion brought together the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the two Armenian advocacy groups in Washington, D.C. Ha

Nov 20, 2014
4 min

Congress, Armenian Assembly Condemn Azerbaijan Downing of Armenian Helicopter in Karabakh

By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog On November 12th, an Azerbaijani military unit stationed near the official Line of Contact (LOC) shot down an unarmed Nagorno Karabakh (NK) army helicopter killing all three servicemen aboard. News of the incident was first reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation and soon went viral across the Internet. “The [Armenian] Assembly strongly condemns Azerbaijan’s blatant cease-fire violation and calls upon the Administrat

Sep 4, 2014
6 min

The Assembly Agenda: This week in Washington, D.C. – September 4, 2014

By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog HOUSE: The House is in the last week of the summer recess and will return next Monday, September 8th. Although Congress will only be in session for two weeks before the midterm election, there are many legislative issues left to address, most importantly: funding the government. Although both chambers have adopted fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations bills that cover funding for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Congress has been

Aug 20, 2014
2 min

Armenian Assembly Staff Meets with Ardzagank Analyst George Tumasyan

By Taniel Koushakjian AAANews Blog A few weeks ago, George Tumasyan, an analyst for the Georgian-Armenian newspaper Ardzagank, stopped by the Armenian Assembly of America headquarters in Washington, D.C. Tumasyan met with Assembly staff and was briefed on the Assembly’s work in Washington on behalf of the Armenian American community. Assembly staff shared with Tumasyan the importance that the Assembly places on the Armenian community in Georgia, as evidenced by the repeated c

Jul 29, 2014
3 min

Meet the Writers

By Taniel Koushakjian AAANews Blog Every summer, the Armenian Assembly of America family grows as the Terjenian-Thomas interns embark on an 8-week adventure in our nation’s capital. While many of our interns are working in their respective fields all over Washington, a select group who have a passion for journalism, communications, and politics have gained experience working in the Assembly’s press department. Gevorg Shahbazyan spends his time working between the Assembly com

Jul 18, 2014
3 min

Turkish Denial of Armenian Genocide Raised in Congressional Hearing on Future of Turkish Democracy

By Peter Kechichian AAANews Blog This week, Turkey’s 99-year campaign of Armenian Genocide denial and other significant Armenian American issues were raised at a special subcommittee hearing by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The hearing, held on Tuesday, July 15th, at the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats, was entitled “The Future of Turkish Democracy,” under the direction of Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Dana Rohrab

Jul 8, 2014
4 min

Congressmen Pallone, Sherman Commend Armenian Ambassador Tatoul Markarian

Mariam Pashayan AAANews Blog On Thursday, July 3, 2014, Armenian Caucus co-chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) submitted a statement into the Congressional Record of the U.S. House of Representatives in dedication to outgoing Armenian Ambassador Tatoul Markarian. Markarian has been Armenia’s Ambassador in Washington since 2005. Before his appointment as Ambassador, Markarian was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2000-2005. “Ambassador Markarian has dedicated his

Jun 26, 2014
5 min

The Assembly Agenda: This week in Washington, D.C. – June 26, 2014

By Taniel Koushakjian (@Taniel_Shant) AAANews Blog HOUSE: The House is in session this week with final votes scheduled for Thursday night. Congress will begin their 4th of July recess this Friday and will return on Tuesday, July 8th. – HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE VOTE THIS MORNING: Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to markup H.R. 4347, the Turkey Christian Churches Accountability Act, at 9 AM. There has been heavy opposition to this bill, according t