How ANCA is trying to revive the lobby: An Auction of Promises

The Armenian Diaspora in the United States has suffered heavy losses. The Armenian American community is losing well-deserved lobbyists one by one, and new gaps are constantly forming in the once close ranks of defenders of Armenian interests.

But a holy place, as they say, is never empty. A competition has already been opened for vacant vacancies in the pro-Armenian pool, and those to whom the easy earnings of the scammers Schiff or Menendez seem to be the limit of dreams are examined by the diaspora with all rigor. The Armenians have spent billions buying up officials, senators and congressmen, but not a single cent invested has been returned to them by any effective step on the part of Washington. Apart from positional "victories" in the form of decisions of some sub-commissions, statements and unanimous anti-Azerbaijani votes somewhere in the committees, the Armenians did not receive anything.

Surely, when choosing candidates for the lobby today, the diaspora will demand more from hired clowns than from the same Schiff. Adam Schiff spent the longest time on Armenian royalties, but these expenses did not affect the relations of the United States with Azerbaijan and the attitude of official Washington towards official Baku.

It seems that one candidate has already been selected. It is reported that the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has supported the candidacy of member of the Indiana House of Representatives Craig Haggard in his election race in the 4th congressional district of the state. Haggard relied on the Armenian American community, counting on the votes of Armenians. According to Armenian media, he "interacts with the Armenian community of the United States, meeting with its leaders to better understand their priorities and advocate for them."

After listening to the promises of the candidate, ANCA graciously agreed to order the Armenians to vote for this figure. Haggard promised the Diaspora to demand a "just peace" between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The "just peace" implies guarantees for the return of Armenians to Karabakh, the release of Armenian "prisoners of war" and, most interestingly, the "liberation of the Armenian land from the Azerbaijani armed forces." The candidate assured the representatives of the "most ancient Christian country" that he would fight for their heritage and do everything to "hold everyone accountable for ethnic cleansing and any other actions equally appalling."

The candidate for the hand and heart of the American Armenians decided not to be petty, but to promise everything that is on the Diaspora's agenda at once. If any of this can be implemented, ANCA will forget about all other unfulfilled promises. Almost all the presidents of the United States promised Armenians to fulfill their dreams, but none came even a hundred steps closer to these dreams. Only old Biden called the events of 1915 "genocide," and he didn't know what he was doing. So the failure to fulfill the promises made to the Armenians is a completely common thing for the United States.

But everything is simple when it comes to the president, whom the diaspora cannot reach, and it is more difficult for corrupt congressmen and senators to avoid fulfilling their marital duty. The Diaspora doesn't like jokes. And Haggard should be prepared for the fact that he will have to devote his activities to the interests of spyurk, and not his own country. He will have to complete tasks and voice the statements he receives from ANCA, even if he looks like an idiot at the same time. The interests of the Armenians have never coincided with the national interests of the United States, and the further they go, the more they diverge. In this case, it is not about the interests of Armenia. Armenia is the least interested in the Diaspora. Otherwise, Haggard would have been driven back, and not promised votes.

Hatred of Turkey and Azerbaijan has always been a business for Armenians, a kind of substance that glues the Diaspora together and maintains interest in it. The so-called "Armenian issue" has died, but the Diaspora is trying to keep it in a comatose state in order to prevent it from disappearing from the world agenda forever. The topic of the "long-suffering" of the Armenian people is no longer interesting to anyone. After the Second Karabakh War, contrary to spyurk's expectations, it did not revive, but, on the contrary, fell in value. Now Yerevan itself is trying to rid Armenia of this shame, and the Diaspora is nervous. Because they understand what the loss of Armenia's voice means for the "Armenian question." If Armenia itself does not talk about "ethnic cleansing," it is unlikely that this slander of the diaspora can be taken seriously in the international arena. Even more, this slander can be sharply rejected as provocative and hindering the achievement of peace. Mr. Haggard will have to work very hard to fulfill at least one of the promises made to the diaspora in exchange for votes. And the ANCA's calculation that he belongs to the ruling party will not work here.

The Armenian American community is not fussing in vain. The losses in the ranks of the lobby are really serious.

As you know, one of the key figures of the lobby, Bob Menendez, is currently serving an 11-year sentence in prison. In 2024, he was found guilty of accepting bribes, extortion, and acting as an agent of the Egyptian government. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the accusation about paid services to the Armenians. Oh well. 11 years old is a good opportunity for 71-year-old Menendez to reflect on his behavior. And soon Nadine, his lifelong friend, will be added to him. The Armenian wife of a former senator has been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. Madame participated in all her husband's corruption schemes and was an intermediary in paying for Bob's dirty services.

Adam Schiff is still at large, but his future in the Senate has become very vague. President Donald Trump is not going to forget Schiff's slander and assaults and demands his punishment. Trump has repeatedly called Schiff a liar, a fabricator of accusations and a man without honor. He emphasized that it was precisely such policies that destroyed Americans' trust in government institutions and turned Congress into an arena for staging and witch hunts. The President calls the Armenian lobbyist a symbol of political lies and duplicity. The senator is also accused of defamation and fraud.

So American Armenians will soon lose Adam Schiff, too. Let us recall how a year ago he tried to push through Congress a "bipartisan bill on the confiscation of Azerbaijani assets and their transfer to the Fund for the Restoration of the Capital of the Armenians of Karabakh." The most interesting thing is that there is no foundation with that name, and Schiff's call was nothing more than a fraud.

The Armenian American community does not skimp by paying for lobby services. But where is the effect? The only time the costs were justified was during the passage of the 907th Amendment to the Freedom Support Act. It was a long time ago, and the amendment itself has not been active for that long. Now it is frozen again for an indefinite period. In general, ANCA is becoming less successful. So, in mid-September, the Congressional Rules Committee rejected the anti-Azerbaijani amendments proposed by lobbyists Frank Pallone and Gus Bilirakis, who are still at large. These figures tried to get them through the House of Representatives and were turned away. The content of the amendments is completely insane. One demanded that the head of the Pentagon be required to report annually on Armenia's support, and the second was to deprive the US president of the authority to freeze the 907th Amendment.

By the way, Pallone had the audacity to come to Baku for COP9. Obviously for provocative purposes, hoping that he would not be allowed in, and it would be possible to make a fuss. But they let him in, making his task more difficult. Here Pallone had to run away from journalists and protesting citizens and admire the views of the Trophy Park from the hotel window.

I would also like to remind you how, shortly before the war, Pallone tried to pass a resolution lifting the ban on travel by US officials to the then occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The resolution received only 12 votes in favor. And this is despite the fact that at that time there were more than 70 people in the Armenian Congress caucus. The lobbyists voted against it because they were afraid that the diaspora would oblige them to visit a dangerous region. But that's how it would be.

It should be noted that Schiff and Menendez also once thought they were untouchable and relied on an all-powerful diaspora. Craig Haggard should think about what he's getting himself into by selling votes. And his task will be especially difficult because he will have to raise issues that Armenia itself no longer wants to raise. This is a completely abnormal situation and a very strange one. While Yerevan has refused to demand the return of Armenians who voluntarily left in order not to harm the established peace, some American senator, promoted by the diaspora, will put a stick in the wheels of this process. It seems to some that the points contained in Trump's Gas plan on the release of hostages as a condition for ending the conflict can be extended to a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is no doubt that the Armenians will try to take advantage of this fact to find a "path to the heart" of the head of the White House in case of success in the Palestinian-Israeli direction.

However, the train left. He's already very far from the departure station.