WASHINGTON — Members of Congress have submitted amendments to be considered by the House Rules Committee for the following bills: H.R. 4016, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027, and H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, aimed at securing the release of Armenian hostages unlawfully detained by Azerbaijan, strengthening Armenia’s security, enforcing Section 907 restrictions, protecting Armenian Christian cultural heritage, and advancing accountability for Azerbaijan’s ongoing actions against Armenia and the Armenian people.
The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomes the introduction of these measures and commends Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA) and Gabe Amo (D-RI) for their continued leadership on issues of importance to Armenia and the Armenian people.
The Assembly strongly supports the following amendments:
Amendments to H.R. 4016 – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027
Rep. Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) amendment limits the President’s ability to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act until Azerbaijan takes demonstrable and verifiable steps to release Armenian hostages, withdraw its forces from sovereign Armenian territory, protect Armenian Christian cultural heritage, and cease the destruction of Armenian property in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ (R-FL) amendment requires the Department of Defense to assess Armenia’s security needs and identify additional U.S. security assistance should Azerbaijan fail to meet several conditions, including releasing Armenian hostages, withdrawing from sovereign Armenian territory, ceasing hostilities, recognizing the right of return for displaced Armenians, and preserving Armenian cultural and religious heritage. The amendment also restricts the President’s ability to waive Section 907 if these conditions are not met.
