In a rare show of unity, the U.S. Senate voted 100–0 to suspend all military and financial aid to Azerbaijan for two years, passing the Armenian Protection Act amid growing concern over Azerbaijan’s treatment of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The bill, spearheaded by Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), conditions future aid on improvements in human rights and allows humanitarian groups continued access to the region.
While foreign policy found bipartisan consensus, domestic tensions flared. The Act was part of a Republican-led continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown—one that split Democrats. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to allow the bill to pass with GOP-friendly terms, calling it a “false choice.” Progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed that frustration, accusing leadership of giving up leverage. With midterms looming, the Democratic Party now faces a test of unity—and of how to lead while divided.
