ANCA Western Region Leadership Supports Fresno Community’s Call for Release of Armenian Hostages and Return of Artsakh Refugees.
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region Chairman Oshin Harootoonian and Executive Director Ruben Karapetian joined Central Valley Armenian advocate Paul Jamushian and Varoujan Der Simonian in talks with Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair David Valadao (R-CA). They focused on U.S. support for Armenia’s security, sanctions enforcement against Azerbaijan, the release of Armenian hostages illegally held in Baku, and the rightful return of Artsakh refugees.
“Congressman Valadao has been a pillar of strength for the Armenian-American community for well over a decade,” said ANCA Western Region Chairman Oshin Harootoonian. “His principled leadership, from championing life-saving aid for Artsakh to standing firm on Armenian Genocide recognition, reflects exactly the kind of commitment our community deserves in Congress. We look forward to working together to defend Armenia’s security, secure Baku’s release of Armenian prisoners, and deliver justice for Artsakh.”
Longtime ANCA Central California lead advocate Paul Jamushian was direct in his assessment. “Rep. Valadao has been a true friend of the Armenian-American community in the Central Valley – not just in words, but in action,” said Jamushian. “When it counted most, he was there for Armenia, for Artsakh, and for us. That means everything to our community.”
Key to the discussions was the ARMENIA Security Partnership Act (H.R.6840), backed by the ANCA Western Region, which Rep. Valadao and his fellow Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair for which they are building support across Capitol Hill. The legislation would strengthen U.S.-Armenia security ties, and prohibit American assistance to Azerbaijan until Baku releases all Armenian prisoners, withdraws from sovereign Armenian territory, and recognizes the right of return for Nagorno-Karabakh’s forcibly displaced Armenians – some 30,000 from southern Hadrut region of Artsakh in 2020, and more than 120,000 of whom were driven from their homeland in Azerbaijan’s 2023 genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.
Rep. Valadao’s commitment to Armenian issues spans his entire Congressional career. Since first being elected in 2012, he has led multiple efforts to expand U.S. aid to Armenia and Artsakh, including authoring a House amendment – adopted as part of the FY2018 foreign aid appropriation – to fund the HALO Trust’s life-saving de-mining operations in Artsakh. In September 2017, he traveled to Artsakh alongside then ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian to review those demining efforts firsthand, engaging regional leaders and HALO Trust officials on the ground in Stepanakert.
Rep. Valadao has also been a decades-long vocal advocate for Congressional reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Since the Armenian genocide Resolutions’ (S.Res.150/H.Res296) near-unanimous adoption by both chambers of Congress in 2019, he continues as a lead cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Education Act (H.R.2585) – a bipartisan measure directing the Library of Congresss to implement a nationwide education program about the genocide committed by the Ottoman Turkish Government from 1915 to 1923 against Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians.
For his consistent and principled leadership, Rep. Valadao has consistently earned an “A+” rating from the ANCA.
Congressman Valadao’s Central Valley district is home to a vibrant Armenian-American community. The ANCA Central California has worked closely with the Congressman since his election to the California State Assembly in 2010. Shortly thereafter, he sought and won the race to represent the constituents of California’s 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since the redistricting following the 2020 census, Rep. Valadao now represents the 22nd Congressional District. Congressman Valadao’s family emigrated to the United States in 1969 from the Azores Islands in Portugal. A dairy farmer like his father, the Congressman and his family run two dairies, and grow almonds, corn, and wheat as dairy feed stock on over 1,000 acres of farmland in Kings County.
Armenian-Americans can urge their representatives to cosponsor the ARMENIA Security Partnership Act (H.R.6840) at anca.org/ArmeniaAct, and support the Armenian Genocide Education Act (H.R.2585) at anca.org/education.
Read the Full Press release here