Congressman Pallone Spearheads Armenian Caucus Letter to Appropriations Committee, Calls for Security Assistance to Armenia, Release of Hostages, and Accountability for Azerbaijan

Washington, D.C. - Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) spearheaded a letter to the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) that calls for security assistance for Armenia, humanitarian aid for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), the release of Armenian hostages held by Azerbaijan, and robust Congressional oversight of U.S. investments in the region. The letter is addressed to Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and Ranking Member Lois Frankel (D-FL). 

The letter urges not less than $20,000,000 in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and not less than $10,000,000 in International Military Education and Training (IMET) to strengthen Armenia’s defensive capabilities and deter “Azerbaijan’s unabated expansionism and threats of aggression and use of force”. While encouraged by the deepening U.S.-Armenia security ties highlighted during Vice President Vance’s visit to the South Caucasus in February, the letter underscores that significantly expanded security cooperation is essential, particularly given Azerbaijan’s continued occupation of close to 100 square miles of sovereign Armenian territory. 

Citing Azerbaijan’s full-scale invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, 2023 — which resulted in the “genocidal ethnic cleansing of the region’s entire indigenous Armenian population” following a 10-month siege — the letter calls for not less than $100,000,000 under the Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia (AEECA) account to support the more than 100,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from their ancestral homeland who continue to face humanitarian challenges in Armenia, including access to housing, employment, and financial assistance. The letter further notes that Azerbaijan’s continued refusal to guarantee the safe and secure return of Armenians to their homes, as required under international law, remains a serious obstacle to lasting peace in the region. 

The letter requests that U.S. military and security assistance to Azerbaijan be prohibited until the President certifies to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken demonstrable steps toward the unconditional release of all remaining Armenian detainees, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from sovereign Armenian territory, the protection of Armenian cultural and civilian property in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the recognition of the fundamental right of forcibly displaced Armenians to return to their homes. It further calls on the Departments of State and Treasury to report on the applicability of Global Magnitsky Act sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for human rights abuses. 

With respect to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), signed on August 8, 2025, and while acknowledging TRIPP as a potential step toward greater U.S. investment and engagement in Armenia, the letter requests that the Departments of State and Commerce report to Congress on planned foreign direct investment in TRIPP, U.S. technical assistance, economic impact, security guarantees, and the activities of U.S.-based entities operating in regions forcibly captured by Azerbaijan. 

“The Assembly commends Congressman Pallone and the Armenian Caucus for their steadfast leadership,” stated Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan. “From addressing Armenia's security and the immediate release of the hostages to calling for humanitarian aid for the Armenians of Artsakh and accountability for Azerbaijan's hostile actions, this letter sends a clear and unambiguous message that Congress will not look away.” 

In addition to Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), cosigners included: Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Rep. Dave Min (D-CA), Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Rep. Luz Rivas (D-CA), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. John Larson (D-CT), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Rep. George Latimer (D-NY), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), and Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA).

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a strictly non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization. 

### 

NR# 2026-07