Anti-Azerbaijani bill and the 2024 Senate race Pro-Armenian congressman’s cynical bid

Let’s start with a key date: November 5, 2024, when the US Senate elections will take place. This crucial election will impact 33 of the 100 Senate seats, shaping the 119th Congress. The elected senators will serve from January 3, 2025, to January 3, 2031. This cycle features a vote for the Class 1 senators, a diverse group of 20 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and three independents. With such a significant turnover, the upcoming elections will be pivotal in determining the future political landscape of the US.

As of August 2024, 15 Democrats, nine Republicans and two nonpartisan senators have announced their intentions to run for re-election. According to analysts, this election cycle is unfavourable for Democrats, who will have to defend 23 of 33 seats. And against this backdrop, we see Democrat Adam Schiff running for re-election to the US Senate in the upcoming election.

It is already known that Lafonza Butler, who was sworn in as a US Senator on 3 October 2023 by Vice President Kamala Harris, is leaving her position as a Senator from California. It is Adam Schiff who is seeking her seat, opposed by Republican Steve Garvey. It is clear that Schiff is again planning to gain the support of the Armenian Diaspora and California lobbies. To understand how connected he is with Armenia and the Armenians of the United States, it is enough to recall that in December 2021 Schiff was awarded the Armenian Order of Friendship “for his significant contribution to the strengthening and development of Armenian-American friendly relations.”

In addition, back in 2011, Schiff was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal also “for his significant contribution to the strengthening and development of Armenian-American friendly ties”. So we have before us an American politician, who has long been engaged by the Armenian side. And it was not surprising at all that last August the Armenians of the American city of Glendale held a protest action in support of the mythical ‘Artsakh’. Having had enough of being shouted at, they began a sit-in outside the office of Congressman Adam Schiff. They demanded from Schiff “serious steps towards opening the Lachin corridor”. Exactly demanded. This is an important point indicating the nature of the relationship between Schiff and the Armenians.

To understand how this is usually arranged, it is enough to revisit the film “The Godfather”. It shows exactly how the Corleone family forced corrupt American politicians to work for them. Everything was used: money, blackmail. What of this arsenal was used by the US Armenians against Schiff? I wouldn't be surprised if it was everything. Plus guarantees of support in the upcoming November elections to the American Senate. He is doing his best, putting forward scandalous anti-Azerbaijani initiatives that go against the national interests of the United States, but satisfy American Armenians.

This time, on the anniversary of the anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Schiff submitted to the US Congress a bill of awful cynicism, immorality and impudence. According to this bill, all US financial institutions holding sovereign assets of Azerbaijan are obliged to report them to the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

According to this bill, within 60 days of its passage, the president must block transactions related to these assets, and within 90 days of the blocking, confiscate them. Additionally, the bill proposes the creation of a "Fund for the Restoration of Artsakh Revenues," which would receive the confiscated Azerbaijani assets and then use these funds to compensate Armenians who illegally resided in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

As we can see, this is yet another anti-Azerbaijani provocation. The extent of the U.S. Congress's immorality became evident back in 1992, when the discriminatory Section 907 was adopted. Essentially, it imposed sanctions on a country that was a victim of occupation while supporting the occupying country. Moreover, this occurred in the same year as the occupation of Shusha and the Khojaly genocide.

Here we see an example of how a corrupt American politician, Schiff, with the support of several congressmen from California, where the Armenian diaspora is influential, plans to exert pressure on the only country that successfully restored its territorial integrity and implemented four UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.

Yes, that country is Azerbaijan. Instead of receiving support from the United States, it faces attempts to pressure our state. And for what? So that the congressman, who sold himself out to the Armenians, Adam Schiff, can report to his sponsors about his anti-Azerbaijani actions and secure the votes and financial backing of Armenians in the US for his upcoming Senate campaign.

Thus, cynically and immorally, the interests of Armenians in the US are prioritized over US national interests, which alienates the strongest state in the South Caucasus. This is more than just a crime on Schiff's part; it’s a mistake whose consequences will be felt for a long time in the White House, regardless of whether Schiff's bill is passed or not.