A bipartisan group of House members sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urging him not to engage in contracts with companies that arm the Syrian military.

The Department of Defense purchases helicopters from the Russian company Rosoboronexport, which sells weapons to Syria, for the Afghan security forces. The lawmakers wrote that it harms American credibility to purchase helicopters from Rosoboronexport while simultaneously criticizing Russian arms sales to the Assad regime.

“We firmly believe that the Department of Defense should not engage in contracts with companies arming the Assad regime in Syria and enabling his mass atrocities against his own people,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter was signed by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Kay Granger (R-TX), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Jack Kingston (R-GA), Jim Moran (D-VA), Martha Roby (R-AL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Walter Jones (R-NC), James McGovern (D-MA), and Frank Wolf (R-VA).