November 4, 2020 - (FRESNO, CA) – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) led 100 of his colleagues in issuing a bipartisan letter to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator John Barsa, urging the agency to invest in demining and unexploded ordinance removal activities to help address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Nagorno Karabakh:

"It’s clear that more needs to be done to protect the people of Artsakh and bring lasting peace to the region,” said Costa. “Demining efforts save lives and this conflict has put thousands at stake. The peace process must resume.  I’m hopeful Administrator Barsa will act quickly to fund demining and unexploded ordnance removal in Nagorno Karabakh to prevent avoidable casualties during and after the conflict."

This letter represents Congressman Costa’s latest action to support of de-escalation of the conflict in the Republic of Artsakh.

Representatives Devin Nunes, T.J. Cox, Gus M. Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, Bill Johnson, Judy Chu, and John Katko joined Rep. Costa in leading the letter.

The other signers include Representatives Tom Malinowski, Diana DeGette, Ted Deutch, Albio Sires, David Trone, Eliot L. Engel, Jimmy Panetta, Seth Moulton, Danny K. Davis, Debbie Dingell, Jason Crow, Bill Foster, Jim Cooper, Anna Eshoo, Sean Patrick Maloney, Peter Welch, Mark Pocan, Chrissy Houlahan, Jim Langevin, Salud O. Carbajal, Grace Meng, Barbara Lee, Abigail D. Spanberger, Lori Trahan, Donald Norcross, J. Luis Correa, Veronica Escobar, Peter A. DeFazio, John Moolenaar, Josh Gottheimer, Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., William R. Keating, Nydia M. Velázquez, Jim Banks, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Chellie Pingree, Betty McCollum, John P. Sarbanes, André Carson, Nanette Diaz Barragán, John Yarumuth, Christopher H. Smith, Jimmy Gomez, Ted Lieu, Doug LaMalfa, Lloyd Doggett, Karen Bass, Lois Frankel, Alan Lowenthal, Thomas R. Suozzi, and David E. Price.
Source: Congressman Jim Costa