Washington, DC:  In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East and Africa, welcomes the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Pallone Amendment to the 2022 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act (H.R. 4373), cutting U.S. military funding and training to Azerbaijan.

The Pallone Amendment states “[n]one of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act (H.R. 4373) under ‘International Military Education and Training (IMET)’ and ‘Foreign Military Financing Program (FMF)’ may be made available for Azerbaijan.” 

In Defense of Christians lauds Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) for introducing this important Amendment, and the full House of Representatives for passing it.

“Azerbaijan’s hostile foreign policy and military adventurism continues to be devastating to the Armenians Christians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). The Pallone Amendment reflects the moral conscience of the American people to protect the region’s vulnerable Armenian Christians,” said IDC President Toufic Baaklini. 

“We are incredibly proud to have worked with our partners at the Armenian National Committee of America in this fight,” he added.