Sen. Menendez Applauds Senate Passage of the Armenian Protection Act of 2023
JERSEY CITY, N.J. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) issued the following statement on the Senate passage of the Armenian Protection Act of 2023:
“I am proud to have supported the Armenian Protection Act of 2023 — legislation that would prevent military aid from going to the Azeri government which has brutally and systematically been perpetrating genocide on the ancient Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh. I have called for this action on the floor of the Senate and will continue to push for sanctions against all who committed these atrocities. The protection of human rights is a central tenet of our foreign policy, which is why it is critical that we continue to stand in solidarity with the Armenian people today, tomorrow, and everyday going forward.”
On November 15, 2023, the Senate passed the Armenian Protection Act of 2023 (S.3000) with an Amendment by voice vote. Introduced by Senators Peters, Rubio, Shaheen, Cassidy, Van Hollen, Ricketts, and Kennedy, the bill aims to suspend military aid to Azerbaijan by repealing the Freedom Support Act Section 907 waiver authority for fiscal years 2024 or 2025. Specifically, the President is prohibited from exercising the waiver authority outlined in the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2002, pertaining to assistance to Azerbaijan for the specified fiscal years.
