Members of Congress Urge Major U.S. Support for Armenia in FY27 Spending Bill

In a significant bipartisan show of support for Armenia, more than 45 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have called on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) to include substantial funding and policy measures in the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bill aimed at strengthening Armenia’s security, assisting displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), and holding Azerbaijan accountable for ongoing human rights abuses.

In a letter addressed to Subcommittee Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Lois Frankel, the lawmakers said the requested provisions are necessary to help Armenia protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, deepen U.S.–Armenia security cooperation, address the humanitarian consequences of Azerbaijan’s September 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, and support a just and durable peace in the region.

The letter calls for $20 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $10 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) for Armenia, arguing that enhanced U.S. assistance is critical to strengthening Armenia’s defensive capabilities in the face of continued threats from Azerbaijan. The lawmakers noted that Azerbaijan continues to occupy sovereign Armenian territory and warned that Baku may seek to exploit broader geopolitical instability to intensify pressure on Armenia during this sensitive phase of peace negotiations.

In addition to direct security assistance, the members of Congress requested a formal report assessing the threats Armenia faces from Azerbaijan, reviewing current and past U.S. security support, identifying gaps in Armenia’s defense needs, and recommending further steps to bolster Armenia’s capacity for self-defense and deterrence.

The letter also urges Congress to allocate no less than $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh. The lawmakers emphasized that the more than 100,000 Armenians who fled Azerbaijan’s 2023 military assault continue to face major challenges in Armenia, including housing, employment, and financial insecurity. They stressed that international assistance to date has been insufficient and reaffirmed that the displaced population has a right to return to their homes under international guarantees.

A central focus of the letter is Azerbaijan’s continued detention of Armenian prisoners and the broader question of accountability. The signatories sharply criticized the reauthorization of the presidential waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, arguing that renewed U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan risks emboldening its aggression and undermining the peace process.

The lawmakers pointed to Azerbaijan’s sentencing of Armenian prisoners, including former Artsakh political leaders, to lengthy prison terms following sham trials marked by abuse, torture, and denial of basic legal protections. They also raised alarm over Azerbaijan’s expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only organization previously authorized to visit detainees, and cited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s public refusal to grant clemency to Armenian prisoners.

To address these concerns, the letter calls for a prohibition on all U.S. military and security assistance to Azerbaijan until the President certifies that Azerbaijan has taken concrete steps to secure the unconditional release of Armenian detainees, withdraw its forces from sovereign Armenian territory, protect Armenian cultural and civilian property in Artsakh, and recognize the right of displaced Armenians to return to their homes.

The signatories also requested that the Departments of State and Treasury report to Congress on whether Azerbaijani officials involved in human rights abuses should be subject to targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.

The letter further raises concerns over the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transportation initiative involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, and broader regional transit arrangements. While the lawmakers acknowledged that TRIPP could expand U.S. engagement and investment in Armenia, they warned that serious questions remain regarding Armenian sovereignty, border control, ownership rights, and security guarantees.

They requested a State Department report on planned foreign direct investment in TRIPP, the extent of U.S. technical assistance, the economic effect on Armenia, and what safeguards are in place to ensure that the route is not used for military purposes or in ways that compromise Armenia’s sovereignty.

In addition, the lawmakers expressed concern that Azerbaijan is seeking foreign investment to demolish, reconstruct, and redevelop areas formerly populated by Armenians. As a result, they called on the Departments of State and Commerce to report on U.S.-based entities operating or investing in Azerbaijan, especially in territories captured during and after the 2020 Artsakh war, and to determine whether such activities may have materially supported ongoing human rights violations.

The bipartisan letter was led by members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and signed by a broad coalition of lawmakers from across the political spectrum, underscoring the need for a more principled U.S. response to Azerbaijan’s actions.

The lawmakers concluded by thanking the subcommittee’s leadership and urging serious consideration of the requests as Congress prepares the FY27 appropriations bill.