WASHINGTON — The House Foreign Affairs Committee is set to review legislation that would halt the flow of U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Taliban, according to a report by The Washington Times.
The Republican-led committee is scheduled to hold a markup hearing on Wednesday on the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, which aims to prevent U.S. foreign aid from benefiting the Taliban. The group seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the U.S. military withdrawal.
The proposed legislation follows recent reports that U.S. cash shipments of $40 million per week have been sent to Afghanistan’s central bank. It also builds on testimony from a December hearing in which former Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that at least $10 million had been paid to the Taliban in the form of taxes.
Representative Brian Mast, a Florida Republican and chair of the committee, criticized the Biden administration for allowing U.S. funds to support the Taliban and described the legislation as part of a broader Republican effort to address the aftermath of the withdrawal.
“Not only did Joe Biden commit the worst foreign policy blunder in modern history by allowing Afghanistan to fall into the hands of the Taliban, he allowed U.S. taxpayer dollars to prop up a terrorist regime that tortures its own citizens,” Mr. Mast said in a statement to The Washington Times. “As a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, I have seen their devastation first-hand. But you don’t have to be a veteran to understand that it is just plain stupid to send millions of dollars to our enemies.”
Republican lawmakers have intensified efforts to curb financial support to Afghanistan following a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The report found that at least $10.9 million in U.S. funds were paid to Taliban-controlled authorities by implementing partners, including non-governmental organizations, in the form of duties and taxes.
Representative Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, said the bill is expected to move forward in committee. A similar version of the measure passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate, then under Democratic control.
