[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 24 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1590. Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Cruz) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1388 
proposed by Mrs. Murray (for herself and Mr. Schumer) to the bill H.R. 
815, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive 
reimbursement for emergency treatment furnished through the Veterans 
Community Care program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to 
lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. PREVENTING TERRORISM AT THE U.N. ACT OF 2024.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Preventing Terrorism at the U.N. Act of 2024''.
       (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for 
     Palestine Refugees in the Near East (referred to in this 
     section as ``UNRWA'') was established through passage of 
     United Nations Resolution 302 (1949) to assist Arab refugees 
     who had been displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
       (2) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
     (referred to in this section as ``UNHCR'') was established by 
     the United Nations General Assembly in 1950 to assist 
     refugees and other displaced persons, including internally 
     displaced persons, in all regions around the world.
       (3) UNRWA is the only specialized agency or entity of the 
     United Nations with a sole conflict or regional mandate.
       (4) For years, UNRWA has faced credible and corroborated 
     accusations of corruption, antisemitism, and support for 
     terrorism.
       (5) Such accusations include the use of antisemitic 
     material in UNRWA classrooms and the use of UNWRA facilities 
     for the storage of munitions by Hamas, an Iranian-backed, 
     United States-designated foreign terrorist organization.
       (6) On January 26, 2024, UNRWA terminated the contracts of 
     12 staff members who were accused of participating in Hamas' 
     brutal terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.
       (7) The attacks of October 7, 2023, claimed the lives of 
     1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 35 citizens 
     of the United States, and resulted in the hostage taking of 
     240 Israelis and foreign nationals.
       (8) The United States has contributed more than 
     $7,000,000,000 to UNRWA since 1949, making it the largest 
     individual donor to the agency.
       (9) United States contributions to UNRWA were suspended 
     from 2018 through 2020, due to allegations of corruption, 
     antisemitism, and support for terrorism.
       (10) The United States has provided more than $730,000,000 
     to UNRWA since United States contributions to the agency 
     resumed in 2021.
       (11) Following the accusations of the involvement of UNRWA 
     staff in the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, the 
     Department of State announced the temporary suspension of 
     United States funding to UNRWA.
       (12) Since January 26, 2024, more than sixteen additional 
     countries and the European Union have suspended their 
     contributions to UNRWA.
       (13) While the majority of funding for UNRWA comes from 
     voluntary contributions, the agency receives a portion of its 
     funding from the regular budget of the United Nations.
       (14) The estimated budget for the UNRWA for United Nations 
     fiscal year 2024 includes $55,176,800 from the regular budget 
     of the United Nations.
       (15) The United States provides 22 percent of the regular 
     budget of the United Nations.
       (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the UNHCR should serve all global refugee and displaced 
     person populations, including those within the original 
     jurisdiction of the UNRWA.
       (d) Prohibition on United States Contributions to the 
     United Nations.--No funds may be provided as a voluntary or 
     assessed contribution of the United States to the United 
     Nations, including any organ, agency, or entity of the United 
     Nations until--
       (1) UNRWA is abolished;
       (2) the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate 
     congressional committees that the that the United Nations has 
     completed appropriate counterterrorism vetting for all United 
     Nations employees and contractors operating in the original 
     jurisdiction of the UNRWA; and
       (3) the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate 
     congressional committees that the United Nations, including 
     staff and facilities receiving United Nations funding, do not 
     teach, promote, or include in materials, such as textbooks 
     and other instructional materials, any content that promotes 
     antisemitism or encourages violence or intolerance toward 
     other countries or ethnic groups.
       (e) Transition Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
       (1) identifies the totality of services provided by UNRWA;
       (2) details how such services will be absorbed by existing 
     United Nations funds, programs, specialized agencies, and 
     organizations;
       (3) details how such services may be absorbed through 
     bilateral assistance;
       (4) includes a plan to ensure all United Nations funds, 
     programs, specialized agencies, and organizations implement 
     and maintain stringent counterterrorism vetting standards; 
     and
       (5) includes a plan to ensure all United Nations funds, 
     programs, specialized agencies, and organizations implement 
     and maintain stringent oversight of educational material and 
     curriculum that prohibits all content that promotes 
     antisemitism or encourages violence or intolerance toward 
     other countries or ethnic groups.
       (f) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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