[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 107 (Monday, June 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2843-H2845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NO TAX DOLLARS FOR TERRORISTS ACT
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
[[Page H2844]]
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
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.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1415
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 260, and I thank my dear friend
and honorable colleague, the Honorable Tim Burchett from the great
State of Tennessee, for his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, oversight of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan does not
have to be a partisan issue. We can all agree that we do not want
American dollars sent to Afghanistan to be diverted to the Taliban.
However, we must do so in a way that does not further alienate those
partners already reeling from the Trump administration's foreign
assistance freeze, which terminated nearly all humanitarian assistance
to Afghanistan, despite its compliance with U.S. law and policy.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that Mr. Burchett was willing to work with
Democrats to address many of our concerns about this legislation. I am
also glad that this legislation contains important amendments offered
by the Honorable Representative Kamlager-Dove to require additional
reporting on the Haqqani Network, and Representative Keating to ensure
that the strategy required by this bill prioritizes Afghan women and
girls, as well as our Afghan allies. These amendments, adopted with
bipartisan support during the markup, underscore that there remains
considerable areas of bipartisan consensus in the House about our
Afghanistan policy.
Unfortunately, there is not a consensus about what the Trump
administration is doing on Afghanistan because they won't tell us. The
State Department has ignored multiple bipartisan requests from this
committee, dating back to February, for more information about the
deals it is making with the Taliban and the Haqqani Network. Despite
the fact that the Republican-led Congress enacted a law codifying the
Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, Secretary Rubio is disabling
the infrastructure supporting our Afghan allies and leaving Congress in
the dark.
Likewise, Secretary Rubio has abolished the Special Envoy for Afghan
Women and Girls, even as this administration lifted the Rewards for
Justice bounties on the leaders of the Haqqani Network, a group with
the blood of U.S. troops on their hands.
Mr. Speaker, we urgently need more information and assurances from
the Trump administration about their priorities in Afghanistan and now
Iran. I hope my colleagues on the other side will stand up for our
committee's oversight responsibility. For now, we are glad to have the
opportunity to work together on this legislation.
I thank, again, the Honorable Congressman Tim Burchett and all his
great bipartisan advocates. I encourage my colleagues to join me in
supporting
[[Page H2845]]
this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of
my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, our Afghan allies risked their lives for America. The
United States must continue to do everything it can to support our
partners on the ground providing assistance to Afghan civilians,
including women and children, while also ensuring U.S. foreign
assistance isn't being diverted into the hands of the Taliban.
There remain considerable areas of bipartisan consensus in Congress
when it comes to our Afghanistan policy. This legislation will lean on
that consensus to help bolster our committee's oversight power and take
a step toward delivering to our Afghan allies the support that they
deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me and support this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 260, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to require
a strategy to oppose foreign assistance by foreign countries and
nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, and for other
purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________