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PRESS
RELEASE
For Immediate Release ~ September 21, 1998
Contact: Lucy Keshishian
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GEPHARDT & BONIOR SPEARHEAD MAJOR CONGRESSIONAL VICTORY FOR ARMENIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Overwhelming Democratic Majority Overcomes Powerful Opposition from House Republican Leadership, State Department, and Oil Lobby
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Falls Church, VA: House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) and Democratic Whip David Bonior (D-MI) rallied an overwhelming majority of their Democratic colleagues last week in support of a measure described by the leading Armenian American advocacy organizations as the "single most important vote of this Congress."
The September 17th vote, on an amendment to maintain Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, was supported by 142 Democrats, with just 51 in opposition. In contrast, only 88 Republicans supported the measure, while 131 opposed the amendment. The amendment was vigorously opposed by Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston (R-LA) and the Republican leadership. Section 907, first enacted in 1992, restricts direct U.S. tax funds from being sent to the government of Azerbaijan until it lifts its illegal blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. Below are the speeches delivered by Reps. Gephardt and Bonior:
Dick Gephardt (D-MO): Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment, which would restore Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.
Over the past several years, the people of the Caucasus have suffered terribly ongoing military conflict in the region. Of particular concern, the extreme hardship and deprivation endured by the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh defy both American and international norms regarding the human rights of innocent civilians.
Recognizing the humanitarian needs of the Armenian people, U.S. Government has endeavored to provide assistance to the innocent victims of the conflict. Unfortunately, the delivery of much of this aid continues to be stymied by Armenia's neighbors.
I have often spoken out against nations which have attempted to interfere with U.S. humanitarian effort around the world. I supported the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act in 1995 and its strengthening in 1997, which banned aid to nations which block shipments of U.S. humanitarian assistance to other countries.
The United States government has concluded an ongoing effort to promote peace and reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both to end the human suffering and to achieve stability in the region. At this time, it would not be advisable to unilaterally eliminate the diplomatic tool that it embodied in Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. This tool is intended to provide an incentive for peace, and I hope it will continue to be used effectively to that end. I urge your support of this amendment.
David Bonior (D-MI): Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for her kind remarks and for the job that she and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) and others have done on this bill.
Mr. Chairman, I want to urge my colleagues to support an amendment later today that would restore section 907 prohibiting aid to the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan. For nearly a decade, Azerbaijan has used tanks and soldiers to blockade its democratic neighbors, the Republic of Armenia. This illegal blockade has cut off the transport of fuel, of food and of medicine. This blockade is a roadblock to regional peace and it is a chokehold on democracy. That is why the United States has refused to spend our tax dollars to prop up the Azerbaijani government. It has always been our stated policy to reward those who work for peace and democracy and punish those who do not, until now. This bill undermines our commitment to democracy. It abandons support for the people of Nagorno-Karabagh who are struggling for self-determination. And it completely undercuts regional peace talks that have just this week shown some promising signs and hints of progress.
Why would we do this? Why are Members of this House being asked to overturn an effective, long-term commitment to peace and democracy? Why would we hand out a big sack of carrots to an anti-democratic regime? Sadly, the answer can be summed up in one word. Oil. Put crudely, the oil lobby has dollar signs in its eyes. The big corporations cannot wait to start pumping oil from beneath the Caspian Sea, even if that means selling out a democratic country, even if that means abandoning a landlocked Nation whose freedom depends upon open borders, and even if that means sacrificing our own principles of justice.
America's interests in the Caucasus lie with the development of democracy and human rights, not just the development of oil fields. This bill guts our long-standing policy and it mocks our deepest values.
I urge my colleagues to support democracy and to support the amendment that is going to be offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) and supported by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) on this side of the aisle and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and others on our side of the aisle.
Support the amendment to restore section 907.
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