Rep. Jackson Introduces Legislation to Uncover UNRWA’s Terrorist Crimes

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced the Uncovering UNRWA's Terrorist Crimes Act to prohibit any additional funding from the United States to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The legislation also directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on funding provided by the United States to the UNRWA so it can be identified exactly how much taxpayer dollars the Biden administration has sent to this pro-terrorist organization. For decades, the United States has sent billions of dollars to UNRWA until President Trump halted all payments to the organization in 2018 calling it an "irredeemably flawed operation." Almost immediately upon entering the White House, President Biden unconditionally renewed funding for UNRWA until last week when the Biden administration announced a pause after allegations that UNRWA staff members were directly involved in the attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. 

Jackson told the Washington Free Beacon: "There is a reason that President Trump halted all funding to UNRWA during his administration. It is an anti-Israel, anti-Jewish organization that promotes terrorism and anti-Semitism. UNRWA is also one of the largest money laundering and child-trafficking organizations in the world that works directly with Hamas to hire teachers to indoctrinate innocent children. This is yet another sorry example of the United States being suckered into sending billions of dollars overseas to globalist organizations that want to put America last, despite being more than $34 trillion in debt. American taxpayer dollars have no place in promoting and enabling terrorism, yet that's exactly what's been happening with UNRWA, and I won't stand for it any longer." 

GOP Conference Chairwoman Stefanik said: "“Joe Biden failed the American people when he reversed President Trump’s decision to cut off U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to the antisemitic UNRWA. I’m grateful for Congressman Ronny Jackson’s leadership in introducing critical legislation to end U.S. funding to UNRWA and hold UNRWA accountable for the direct role their employees had in the barbaric October 7th terrorist attacks against Israel. We will investigate and uncover the systemic antisemitism and violent corruption that Joe Biden has been funding through his decision to send U.S. taxpayer dollars to UNRWA.”

Bill text can be found here. 

Additional background from the Washington Free Beacon can be found here. 

GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and Representatives Mike Bost (IL-12), Brian Babin (TX-36), August Pfluger (TX-11), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Keith Self (TX-03), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Carol Miller (WV-01), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Scott Perry (PA-10), and Mike Lawler (NY-17) cosponsored the legislation. 

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