RASC News Agency: A pivotal committee in the United States House of Representatives has approved a consequential legislative measure aimed at severing all channels through which American taxpayer funds might benefit the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. As reported by The Washington Times, the bill titled “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act” would obligate the U.S. government to restructure its foreign assistance to Afghanistan to ensure that no portion of these funds is diverted to the Taliban, either directly or indirectly. The legislation underscores longstanding concerns regarding the Taliban’s appropriation of international aid. Since December 2021, the United States has reportedly disbursed over $5 billion in assistance to Kabul, a significant share of which has been seized, taxed, or otherwise misused by Taliban authorities.
Introduced by Congressman Tim Burchett, a Republican representing Tennessee, the bill was passed on Wednesday by the House Foreign Affairs Committee along party lines. In a statement following the vote, Burchett remarked, “I don’t trust the Taliban to properly manage $40 million per week. And frankly, I don’t understand how anyone from either party possibly could.” Should the bill be enacted into law, the U.S. Department of State would be required to deliver a detailed report to Congress outlining the Taliban’s influence over the Afghan Central Bank, the composition of the board of trustees managing the Afghanistan Fund, and the identities of Taliban affiliates operating within the financial system. The report must also delineate safeguards implemented to prevent Taliban access to these financial resources.
However, the bill’s provisions extending to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who warn that restricting humanitarian operations could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, voiced his objections: “How does cutting off life-saving assistance to the Afghan people advance the national security interests of the United States? This legislation risks punishing vulnerable Afghanistani civilians rather than undermining Taliban control.”
Republicans, on the other hand, cite a 2024 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which revealed that the Taliban had extracted at least $10.9 million in U.S. aid through taxes and customs duties. Congressman Brian Mast, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasized that such revelations highlight an urgent need for transparency and accountability in the disbursement of international aid to Afghanistan.
