On June 17, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov received Abraham “Abe” Hamadeh, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who was visiting Azerbaijan.
During the meeting, it was noted that the full repeal of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. government assistance to Azerbaijan, would be in line with the spirit of the strategic partnership between the two countries and would contribute to the further expansion of cooperation in the fields of security, energy, transport, economy and regional stability.
The day after this meeting, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joyfully announced that Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. had introduced a bill in Congress prohibiting the waiver of Section 907. Pallone, co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, introduced an amendment to H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. The amendment would prohibit the president from using authority to waive the application of Section 907 until “Azerbaijan takes clear and verifiable steps to meet specific conditions,” ANCA reported.
What exactly does this diaspora-dictated amendment demand from Azerbaijan? It demands the release of all convicted Armenian criminals, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the border, guarantees for the protection and preservation of “Armenian Christian cultural heritage” in Karabakh, and so on. The presidents’ right to waive the amendment has allowed the United States to bypass the absurd, unjust and completely illogical decision adopted by Congress in 1992. Now ANCA hopes that the lobby will be able to secure the adoption of this amendment, depriving the head of the White House of that privilege.
The House Rules Committee plans to consider this amendment in the coming weeks. The Armenian diaspora hopes that Pallone’s amendment can be pushed through. Time will tell. However, the diaspora’s hopes are more illusory than realistic.
Let us recall that Section 907 was adopted by Congress in 1992 under pressure from the Armenian diaspora and prohibited the U.S. administration from providing government assistance to Baku. The reason for this outrageous decision was Azerbaijan’s alleged “blockade” of Armenia. Having little understanding of what was happening in the distant and little-known South Caucasus, members of Congress voted in favor without much debate. At the same time, a similar decision was adopted regarding Armenia, but only for appearances’ sake. Shortly afterward, that resolution was quietly eliminated. Armenia did not even have time to feel its effects.
Today, the lobby is trying with all its might. President Trump’s position and the new relationship between Baku and Washington are deeply alarming to Armenian Americans, who spare no money on various Shermans and Pallones.
In March, Frank Pallone Jr. initiated yet another provocative petition. Leading a group of 46 members of the House of Representatives, he organized a letter to the leadership of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security and to the State Department, demanding the allocation of $30 million for defense cooperation with Armenia against the backdrop of alleged “threats from Azerbaijan.” One of the veteran figures associated with Armenian lobbying efforts in Congress is also demanding the allocation of $100 million to the separatists entrenched in Armenia, a ban on military assistance to Azerbaijan, and sanctions against Baku under the Global Magnitsky Act. The paid signatories did not forget the “Trump Route” either, claiming that TRIPP somehow threatens Armenia’s sovereignty.
It should be emphasized that Yerevan had nothing to do with this petition. ANCA took upon itself the “care” for Armenia, especially in light of Nikol Pashinyan’s distancing himself from the diaspora and its destructive schemes.
photo: Armenian Assembly of America
It is noteworthy that in September last year, the U.S. House of Representatives refused to vote on anti-Azerbaijani amendments that Frank Pallone Jr. and Gus Bilirakis tried to push through. The package of amendments was rejected by the House Rules Committee. The first amendment would have required the Pentagon chief to annually officially “certify that Azerbaijan is taking significant steps to recognize Armenia’s sovereignty.” The second amendment is the very same one that Pallone is now trying to push through again. In September, the Rules Committee refused to consider the lobbyists’ proposal, and Pallone now wants to try his luck once more. And not without reason. Much has changed since last September.
In December last year, U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna introduced in Congress the Azerbaijan Assistance Restriction Repeal Act, which provides for the full repeal of Section 907. This fact triggered an explosion of outrage from the Armenian diaspora and the Armenian bloc within the U.S. legislature. Most analysts believed that the initiative would remain the proposal of a single member of Congress, because Armenian lobbying in Congress was too strong and the Republican majority would not be able to outweigh that influence.
Those forecasts did not come true. In March, the bill was joined by U.S. Representative Abraham “Abe” Hamadeh, a Republican from Arizona. In early April, Republican members of Congress Celeste Maloy, Burgess Owens and Pete Sessions became co-sponsors of the bill. They were later joined by Republican Congressman Randy Fine, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, against whom the diaspora immediately launched a smear campaign.
Then Congressman Derrick Van Orden joined the initiative. Van Orden is a member of several key House committees, including the Armed Services Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the Agriculture Committee. A former special forces serviceman, he is a prominent figure actively involved in shaping security and defense policy. Van Orden is known for his position on strengthening U.S. strategic cooperation with allies.
The emergence of a legislative initiative to repeal Section 907 was inevitable, given Donald Trump’s position and the United States’ involvement in peace processes in the South Caucasus. This bill is making the diaspora, which is losing influence in Congress, and the lobby, which fears losing the generous fees it receives from ANCA, extremely nervous.
Earlier in June, the same ANCA reported that the House Foreign Affairs Committee was preparing to consider and vote on an amendment backed by the Armenian National Committee of America, calling on the U.S. administration to apply diplomatic, economic and legal pressure on Azerbaijan. Specifically, it calls for full compliance with the requirements of Section 907 until Armenian criminals convicted in Azerbaijan are released. The author of the amendment is Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat from California and vice chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus.
As we can see, the situation is desperate. This is evidenced by ANCA’s feverish activity. Despite all the changes, the diaspora continues to live in some parallel universe where everything remains as it once was and where someone still pays attention to Armenian demands. Meanwhile, the ranks of lobbyists in Congress have noticeably thinned after the “loss” of Robert Menendez and the growing scrutiny surrounding Adam Schiff.
Let us recall that former Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for taking bribes, including gold bars, in exchange for providing assistance to the government of Egypt and businessmen from New Jersey. Menendez worked tirelessly for the Armenian lobby for 18 years. Another long-time ally of Armenian causes, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, came under scrutiny in 2025 over allegations related to mortgage fraud, which he denied. The case drew attention as one of the most high-profile controversies involving a pro-Armenian politician since Schiff’s open confrontation with Donald Trump during Trump’s first presidential term.
Thus, the ranks of the Armenian lobby are thinning, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for Pallone and Sherman to find a “majority.” The diaspora’s money is powerless here.
