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PRESS
RELEASE
For Immediate Release ~ December 20, 1998
Contact: Lucy Keshishian
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LIVINGSTON RESIGNATION SHAKES AZERI OIL LOBBY
Republican Speaker-Elect Led Congressional Drive Against Section 907, Armenian Genocide Commemoration, and Karabagh Self-Determination
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Falls Church, VA: The unexpected resignation this weekend of U.S. Speaker nominee Bob Livingston, one of the nation's most forceful advocates of Azerbaijani oil interests, opens the door to a more balanced and constructive debate in Congress over how to advance U.S. interests and American values in the Caucasus, according to a statement issued today by the Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council (AADLC).
Earlier this year, Livingston, in his capacity as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, spearheaded unsuccessful efforts to repeal the restriction on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, commonly known as Section 907. The restriction, adopted by Congress in 1992, restricts assistance to the government of Azerbaijan until it has lifted its blockades against Armenia and Karabagh.
This summer, Livingston secured passage of an anti-Section 907 amendment in his Appropriations panel, which, despite strong Republican backing, was overturned in a dramatic September 17th vote on the House floor. Sixty percent of Republicans voted against Section 907, while 74% of Democrats stood with the Armenian American community. The influential Capitol Hill publication Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor reported on November 23rd that a Livingston speakership would have paved the way for the repeal of Section 907.
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