Reps. Lauren Boebert and Doug Lamborn Lead Congressional Oversight Over Biden’s Funding of Palestinian Terrorists
Today, Reps. Lauren Boebert and Doug Lamborn led 38 Members of Congress in congressional oversight over the Biden administration’s illegal funding of Palestinian terrorists in violation of the Taylor Force Act.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “The Palestinian Authority is a terrorist organization that pays the families of terrorists lavish monthly pensions as part of a so-called ‘Martyr’s Fund.’ In 2018, President Trump signed the Taylor Force Act, prohibiting U.S. taxpayer dollars from flowing to the Palestinian Authority while they pay for terrorist attacks against Americans and Israelis. In clear violation of the law, Joe Biden has provided more than half a billion dollars to the Palestinian Authority, putting America, Israel, and our western allies at risk. This lawless administration must be held accountable.”
“I authored the Taylor Force Act in 2017 to ensure that the humanitarian and economic assistance provided by the United States government was not being used by the Palestinian Authority for its inhumane ‘pay-to-slay’ program,” said Congressman Doug Lamborn. “U.S. tax dollars should never support terrorist regimes that incentivize the murder of innocent people. I am deeply concerned that the Biden Administration has decided to disregard bipartisan consensus condemning this ‘martyr’ payment program and instead continues to knowing provide billions of taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority.”
Sarah N. Stern, Founder and President, Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET), said, “EMET thanks, from the bottom of our hearts, Representative Lauren Boebert and Representative Doug Lamborn, as well as the 36 others for ensuring that the Biden administration lives up to both the letter and the spirt of the Taylor Force Act. America should not be turning a blind eye towards the incentivization of the lavish payments towards Palestinian terrorists for the murder of American and Israeli citizens.”
Background:
Taylor Force was an American hero who graduated from West Point and served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After serving his country overseas, Taylor Force attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University. At Vanderbilt, he went on a study abroad to Israel to study global entrepreneurship. While he was traveling, a terrorist murdered him and stabbed ten other people in a horrific knife attack. Instead of condemning this carnage, the terrorists that run the Palestinian Authority provided a financial reward – a so-called “martyr payment” – to the family of the terrorist responsible for murdering Taylor Force.
In early 2018, Congress passed the bipartisan Taylor Force Act – sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn in the House – to restrict economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it put an end to its horrific “pay-to-slay” program. By signing the Taylor Force Act into law, President Trump sent a strong message to terrorists around the world that the U.S. will no longer tolerate rewarding terrorism with American tax dollars.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and Congressman Doug Lamborn led 38 Members of Congress in confronting the Biden regime over its clear violations of the Taylor Force Act. Members of Congress who joined in this oversight effort include Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), Rep. W. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01), Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08), Rep. Bob Good (VA-05), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03), Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10), Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Rep. Mary E. Miller (IL-15), Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18), Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36), Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), Rep. C. Scott Franklin (FL-15), Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06), Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02), Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01), Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01), Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01), Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03), and Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02).
The full text of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s congressional oversight letter is available here and below:
Dear Secretary Blinken,
The Taylor Force Act limits U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority made under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (relating to the Economic Support Fund) and was signed into law to counter financial incentives being offered to Palestinian terrorists. A non-public State Department report was released last month indicating that the Palestinian Authority “continued [to provide] payments to Palestinian prisoners who had committed acts of terrorism, as well as the families of so-called ‘martyrs’ who died while committing acts of terrorism.”
We are concerned about potential violations of the spirit, if not the letter, of the Taylor Force Act. As of July, this Administration has provided half a billion dollars in taxpayer funding to the Palestinian Authority, and the White House recently announced an additional contribution of $316 million. In offering hundreds of millions of dollars for the purpose of economic assistance, we are concerned that these funds are tragically enabling the Palestinian Authority’s payments to terrorists and the families of terrorists who kill innocent Americans and people of Jewish descent – also commonly referred to as “pay-to-slay.” Administrations across the political spectrum have routinely and loudly condemned this practice; unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority has nevertheless refused to put a permanent end to pay-to-slay.
In furtherance of our Congressional oversight responsibilities, we request the answer to the following questions by COB November 7, 2022.
1). Is this Administration providing support for the Palestinian Authority through the Economic Support Fund (ESF)? Which other accounts is the Administration utilizing to provide financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority? Does the State Department agree that continuing to provide economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority – in light of this report’s findings – contradict both the spirit and letter of the Taylor Force Act? Given this nonpublic report, how are you able to certify that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) “are taking credible steps to end acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States citizens that are perpetrated or materially assisted by individuals under their jurisdictional control?”
2). Is the Administration prepared to publicly release, to the greatest extent possible, the State Department report cited above? Can the State Department commit to working with the Congress to publicly release this report in the following 60 days?
3). For the purposes of providing economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority, what definition of the word “refugee” is the Administration employing? Is it the same definition used by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)?
4). Does the Administration have any figures on the number of terrorists or families of terrorists that have received payments from the Palestinian Authority for killing innocent Americans and people of Jewish descent since March 8, 2016?
We thank you in advance for your cooperation and look forward to your responses.
Sincerely,
Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03)
Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03)
Rep. W. Gregory Steube (FL-17)
Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27)
Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01)
Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07)
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)
Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08)
Rep. Bob Good (VA-05)
Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22)
Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03)
Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10)
Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10)
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04)
Rep. Mary E. Miller (IL-15)
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02)
Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18)
Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13)
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27)
Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36)
Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03)
Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02)
Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19)
Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02)
Rep. C. Scott Franklin (FL-15)
Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06)
Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02)
Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01)
Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21)
Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01)
Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01)
Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03)
Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02)