Strategy to Oppose Financial or Material Support By Foreign Countries to the Taliban

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6586) to require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries to the Taliban, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6586

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. STRATEGY TO OPPOSE FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL SUPPORT BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO THE TALIBAN.

(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to oppose the provision of financial or material support by foreign countries to the Taliban that is inconsistent with United States law or policy.

(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report identifying, to the maximum extent possible--

(1) foreign countries that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban since September 1, 2021, that is inconsistent with United States law or policy, including--

(A) the amount of United States-provided foreign assistance each country receives, if any;

(B) the amount of financial or material support each country has provided to the Taliban; and

(C) a description of how the Taliban has utilized such financial or material support; and

(2) efforts the United States has taken since September 1, 2021, to oppose foreign countries from providing financial or material support to the Taliban if doing so is inconsistent with United States law or policy.

(c) Strategy and Reports.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to discourage foreign countries from providing financial or material support to the Taliban that is inconsistent with United States law or policy.

(2) Reports.--

(A) Initial report.--Not later than the date on which the strategy required by paragraph (1) is completed, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the strategy and a plan for its implementation.

(B) Subsequent reports.--

(i) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the strategy required by paragraph (1) is completed, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of the strategy, including the impact of the strategy in discouraging foreign countries from providing financial or material support to the Taliban that is inconsistent with United States law or policy.

(ii) Form.--The report required by this subparagraph shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex if necessary.

(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. SEC. 2. REPORT ON DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN AFGHANISTAN.

(a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on United States Government-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan during the period beginning on August 1, 2021, and ending on the date that is 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. The report shall be submitted in conjunction with the submission of the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Financial Report of the United States Agency for International Development.

(b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) shall, with respect to such direct cash assistance programs, include--

(1) a description of method of payments;

(2) a description of how and where currency exchanges occur;

(3) a description of if and how hawalas are used and the oversight mechanisms in place regarding use of hawalas to transfer funds in United States Government funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan; and

(4) a description of safeguards, including oversight processes, to prevent the Taliban from accessing cash assistance under such programs.

(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. SEC. 3. REPORT ON STATUS OF AFGHAN FUND.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the status of the Afghan Fund.

(b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include, to the maximum extent possible--

(1) a description of the Taliban's influence over Da Afghanistan Bank, including a list of Taliban members employed by such Bank or serving on its board of directors;

(2) a description of the Afghan Fund's board of trustees, including the process for vetting and selection of trustees;

(3) the conditions necessary for the United States Government to support disbursements from the Afghan Fund to Da Afghanistan Bank;

(4) how the Afghan Fund's board of trustees determines the Fund's activities, including what kind of information will inform the board's decisions, and how the board will collect and verify this information; and

(5) a description of what controls have been put into place to ensure funds and disbursements are not diverted to or misused by the Taliban.

(c) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date that all disbursements from the Afghan Fund have been made.

(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6586. I thank my colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for introducing this important legislation to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from ending up in the Taliban's hands.

Since the Biden administration's disastrous withdrawal nearly 3 years ago, the Taliban has established a reign of terror in Afghanistan. The Taliban has banned girls from receiving an education and essentially banned women from participating in public life in any meaningful way. They have supported the public flogging and stoning of women and have prevented women from working for NGOs, significantly restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid.

These abhorrent policies reveal the barbaric heart of Taliban control over Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues to flood Afghanistan with money. Since 2021, the U.S. has appropriated nearly $3 billion for assistance to Afghanistan, yet we have little to no oversight over much of this assistance, which is administered by third parties. This administration must be held accountable to ensure that U.S.-provided assistance to Afghanistan does not end up in the Taliban's hands.

Recent reports show that at least 10.9 million U.S. taxpayer dollars have been paid to the Taliban in the form of taxes and fees. Due to lax oversight by this administration, the real number is probably much higher.

Congress has a responsibility to ensure that U.S. tax dollars are not hand-delivered to Taliban terrorists.

While the U.S. maintains a policy of nonrecognition toward the Taliban, countries in the region show increasing signs of engagement. Most recently, the leader of the United Arab Emirates received a number of Taliban officials, including the head of the Haqqani Network terrorist group, which is on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

This administration has no written strategy to discourage foreign nations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban. It is essential that we hold nations that receive U.S. assistance accountable and ensure that they do not empower the Taliban.

This bill requires the administration to report on what exactly they are doing to conduct oversight of U.S. money going to Afghanistan and requires them to identify which foreign nations are funding the Taliban. This basic oversight is essential to ensuring that the American people and our partners around the world are not paying for the Taliban's reign of terror.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the world cannot turn a blind eye while the Taliban continues to wreak havoc on the lives of the Afghan people.

The Biden administration and our partners and allies have a responsibility to ensure that funding flowing to Afghanistan solely benefits the Afghan people and not their Taliban overlords. We must not be complicit in funding Taliban atrocities in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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