[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4093 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4093

  To review and consider terminating the designation of the State of 
        Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 10, 2024

Mr. Budd (for himself, Ms. Ernst, and Mr. Scott of Florida) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To review and consider terminating the designation of the State of 
        Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Reviewing Qatar's Major Non-NATO 
Ally Status Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On October 8, 1997, the Secretary of State designated 
        Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (``Hamas'') as a foreign 
        terrorist organization in accordance with section 219 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189).
            (2) In 2012, the State of Qatar allowed Hamas to open a 
        political office in Doha.
            (3) On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists operating from 
        Gaza attacked Israel, resulting in the death of more than 1,200 
        individuals and the kidnapping of more than 240 individuals, 
        including the death of more than 30 and kidnapping of more than 
        a dozen United States citizens.
            (4) Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas's political bureau, 
        resides in Qatar, as do Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas's 
        communications office, and Khaled Mashal, Hamas's former 
        political chief and current head of the group's diaspora 
        office.
            (5) On January 6, 2024, in a meeting with a bipartisan, 
        bicameral delegation of United States lawmakers, Qatari Prime 
        Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani 
        assured the delegation that ``since day 1, Qatar has been 
        strong arming Hamas to get the hostages back''.
            (6) At the end of January 2024, Qatari Prime Minister 
        Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani asserted 
        publicly that Qatar has no leverage over Hamas in hostage 
        negotiations.
            (7) On February 17, 2024, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh 
        Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani urged a ceasefire 
        in Gaza without preconditions, undercutting negotiations for 
        the release of hostages, including United States citizens, at 
        the Munich Security Conference.
            (8) As of April 2024, Hamas continues to hold 5 United 
        States citizens hostage in Gaza, as well as the bodies of 3 
        United States citizens believed to be killed on or shortly 
        after October 7, 2023.
            (9) The March 10, 2022, designation of the State of Qatar 
        as a major non-NATO ally is a privilege which must be 
        continuously earned.
            (10) It is in the United States interest to review the 
        designation of certain countries as Major Non-NATO Allies from 
        time to time as facts and circumstances change. In fact, the 
        United States Government terminated Afghanistan's status as a 
        major non-NATO ally in July 2022, following the Taliban's 
        takeover of that country.

SEC. 3. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives.

SEC. 4. REVIEW OF DESIGNATION OF THE STATE OF QATAR AS A MAJOR NON-NATO 
              ALLY.

    (a) Review and Report.--
            (1) In general.--In light of the fact that the State of 
        Qatar hosts Hamas, a United States-designated terrorist 
        organization with American blood and hostages on its hands, and 
        the fact that Qatar continues to host this terrorist 
        organization despite the continued captivity by Hamas of 
        American hostages, not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall--
                    (A) conduct a thorough review of--
                            (i) bilateral relations between the United 
                        States and Qatar;
                            (ii) Qatar's relationship with Hamas; and
                            (iii) Qatar's designation as a major non-
                        NATO ally; and
                    (B) submit to the appropriate congressional 
                committees a detailed written report summarizing the 
                review.
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in an unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
    (b) Certification.--
            (1) In general.--The report required under subsection (a) 
        shall include a certification from the Secretary of State as to 
        whether--
                    (A) it is in the national interest of the United 
                States for Qatar to maintain its designation as a major 
                non-NATO ally;
                    (B) Qatar has exerted any and all leverage it has 
                over Hamas to secure the release of United States 
                hostages from Gaza;
                    (C) Qatar does not directly or indirectly support, 
                financially or otherwise, acts of international 
                terrorism or foreign terrorist organizations, including 
                Hamas; and
                    (D) Qatar has expelled or agreed to extradite to 
                the United States any individuals determined to be 
                members of Hamas, including Ismail Haniyeh, Khalil al-
                Hayya, Khaled Mashal, and any other individuals bearing 
                responsibility for the terror attack on October 7, 
                2023.
            (2) Form and publication.--The certification required under 
        paragraph (1) shall be in unclassified form and posted on a 
        publicly available website of the Department of State.
    (c) Termination.--In the event that the Secretary of State cannot 
in good faith certify the determinations described under subsection 
(b)(1) in the affirmative, the President--
            (1) shall immediately terminate the designation of the 
        State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally pursuant to section 
        517(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
        2321k(a)(1)) or any other provision of law; and
            (2) may not issue a separate designation of the State of 
        Qatar as a major non-NATO ally pursuant to section 517(a)(1) of 
        the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321k(a)(1)) or 
        any other provision of law unless the President submits to 
        Congress a certification described in subsection (b).
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