Representative Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania has introduced a bill aimed at halting U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan until all American citizens detained by the Taliban are released.
The legislation, titled the No Funding Without Freedom Act (H.R. 9763), was announced in a statement from his office on Thursday.
The bill directly responds to the detainment of two Americans, Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann. Corbett, a native of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 while working in Afghanistan.
Glezmann was detained just a few months later, in December 2022, during a short cultural visit. Both men have reportedly been held in poor conditions, and their health has deteriorated significantly during their imprisonment.
In the statement, Meuser highlighted that the U.S. has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021, following the U.S. military withdrawal. The U.S. remains the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the region.
“Last month marked the third anniversary of the Biden-Harris administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to take over the country,” Meuser said. “Despite the wrongful imprisonment of Americans like Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann, this administration has continued to provide billions in aid. My legislation ensures that not another penny will be sent until every American hostage is released.”
The No Funding Without Freedom Act is co-sponsored by several Republican lawmakers, including Bill Posey of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Claudia Tenney of New York, among others.
The bill would block any further U.S. assistance to Afghanistan unless the Secretary of State certifies that all unlawfully detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan have been released. It also allows the president to waive this restriction if it is deemed necessary to secure the release of detainees, provided that Congress is informed and given a detailed justification.
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of State to report to Congress within 30 days of the bill’s enactment, and every 90 days thereafter, on the status of detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan and ongoing efforts to secure their release.
Focus on hostages
The detention of Americans in Afghanistan remains a significant diplomatic challenge for the Biden administration. According to human rights groups, the Taliban has continued to hold foreign nationals, including Americans, since its return to power in August 2021.
Meuser and other lawmakers backing the legislation argue that withholding aid could serve as a critical bargaining tool to pressure the Taliban into releasing hostages.
The Biden administration, however, has maintained that humanitarian aid is crucial for the millions of Afghans suffering under Taliban rule, many of whom face food insecurity and other hardships.
The bill underscores growing frustration within some parts of Congress over the U.S. approach to Afghanistan, particularly regarding the fate of Americans detained by the Taliban.
