No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 260) to require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations 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. 260

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act''. SEC. 2. STRATEGY TO OPPOSE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO THE TALIBAN.

(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States--

(1) to oppose the provision of foreign assistance by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, particularly those countries and organizations that receive United States-provided foreign assistance; and

(2) to review United States-provided foreign assistance to such foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided foreign assistance to the Taliban.

(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 extent possible--

(1) foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided foreign assistance to the Taliban, including--

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

(B) the amount of foreign assistance each country or organization has provided to the Taliban; and

(C) a description of how the Taliban has utilized such foreign assistance; and

(2) efforts the United States has taken since August 2021 to oppose foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing foreign assistance to the Taliban, particularly those foreign countries and organizations that receive United States-provided foreign assistance.

(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 and implement a strategy to discourage foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing foreign assistance to the Taliban. The strategy shall include efforts to support Afghan women and girls who are suffering under Taliban edicts, in a way that does not support the Taliban, and efforts to relocate eligible, fully vetted, at- risk Afghans and Afghan allies located inside and outside of Afghanistan to the United States or third countries.

(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.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the strategy required by paragraph (1) is completed, and every 180 days 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 and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban.

(C) Additional report.--

(i) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the decision to terminate the bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani and other key members of the Haqqani Network under the Rewards for Justice program.

(ii) Matters to be included.--The report required by this subparagraph shall include the following:

(I) The status of the bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani under the Rewards for Justice program and the rationale for any changes made since September 1, 2021.

(II) An identification of members of the Haqqani Network who are Specially Designated Global Terrorists and the status of the designation of the Haqqani Network as a foreign terrorist organization.

(III) A description of any United States Government engagements with Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, or the Haqqani Network since September 1, 2021.

(IV) Whether new information has emerged relating to the involvement of the Haqqani Network in terrorist attacks targeting the United States Military or United States civilians.

(iii) Form.--The report required by this subparagraph shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. SEC. 3. REPORT ON DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN AFGHANISTAN.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 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.

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

(1) a general description of the types of implementing partners and recipients;

(2) a description of method of payments;

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

(4) a description of how hawalas are used and the oversight mechanism in place regarding use of hawalas to transfer funds; and

(5) a description of how oversight is conducted, including information on how the Department of State prevents the Taliban from accessing cash assistance under such programs.

(c) Hawala Defined.--In this section, the term ``hawala' '' means a system of transferring money through a network of money lending brokers. SEC. 4. REPORT ON STATUS OF AFGHAN FUND.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, 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, to the extent possible, include--

(1) a list of Taliban members working at Da Afghanistan Bank or serving on the Bank's board; and

(2) a description of--

(A) the Taliban's influence over Da Afghanistan Bank;

(B) the Afghan Fund's board of trustees, including how the Fund's trustees were vetted and selected, and what United States agencies were involved in the vetting and selection process;

(C) the conditions necessary for funds in the Afghan Fund to be released to Da Afghanistan Bank;

(D) how the Afghan Fund's board of trustees will decide on the type and appropriateness of 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

(E) a description of what controls have been put into place to ensure funds are not diverted to or misused by the Taliban or other actors when the Fund begins making disbursements. SEC. 5. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

In this Act, 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.

Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 260, focuses on three main issues: one, keeping financial and material support out of the hands of the Taliban; two, reporting on cash assistance programs; and three, reporting on the Afghan Fund and the Afghan central bank.

Since December 2021, the United States has sent over $5 billion in cash to Kabul. This money has been taxed and stolen by the Taliban, yet we continue to send it.

Mr. Speaker, that needs to end.

The State Department needs to ensure that any aid does not go to terrorists in Afghanistan. We need to have a clearer understanding of the influence the Taliban has on not just international aid but the Afghan banking system, as well.

When this bill was originally introduced at the end of 2023, it did not mention nongovernmental organizations in Afghanistan. However, our understanding of the reality on the ground has changed.

During a hearing last year, former Secretary of State Blinken admitted that over $10 million had been paid to the Taliban. Contacts within Taliban resistance forces have provided me with a different narrative. According to them, nearly all of the cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban.

Mr. Speaker, they will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars. It is time we know what is going on and implement a strategy to make sure this aid goes to those who need it.

I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for working with us closely on this important piece of legislation and coming up with a bill that works for both parties. My Democratic friends agree that it is time to stop funding terrorist organizations in Afghanistan and across the Middle East.

I thank my dear friend Shawn Ryan from middle Tennessee, former Navy SEAL, who brought this to my attention.

I also thank my good friend ``Legend.'' He goes by that name because he has a hit out on his life because he has taken a tough stand. He is an Afghan that fought for America, and he is my friend.

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Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the kind words that Representative Jackson said about me. He is probably one of my closest friends across the aisle. I don't agree with him on anything, but he is my friend and I dig that.

Mr. Speaker, we must send a very strong message that the United States will no longer tolerate sending U.S. tax dollars to terrorist organizations in Afghanistan and across the Middle East.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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