Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) urged Congress to cut off all future U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency ahead of next month’s federal spending deadline, according to a letter obtained exclusively by the newspaper. budget allocators.
“Given UNRWA’s record of troubling allegations and disturbing revelations since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, we will no longer award any more U.S. taxpayer funds to the agency. I believe that this cannot be done,” Issa said in a letter Wednesday to appropriators in the Senate and House of Representatives. He is working on a spending bill that includes foreign aid.
“All the evidence regarding UNRWA’s actions points to a systematic and incurable link to terrorism,” he said in a letter co-signed by 27 House Republicans.
To fund the federal government, the House and Senate must pass continuing resolutions or separate spending bills by March 1 and March 8, depending on the government agency targeted.
State Department funding will expire on the latter of the two dates.
UNRWA faced allegations last week that 12 of its staff took part in the October 7 terrorist attack, some of whom kidnapped and killed Israelis. UN internal investigation Donors, including the United States, Temporarily suspend funding.
Seven of those 12 employees hold education-related positions at Palestinian refugee aid agencies, and about 1,200 of them work for Hamas and other groups in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli intelligence documents first reported by Wall Street. It has been identified as having ties to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. journal.
“There are many other concerns,” Issa elaborated in the letter, citing the report. “Weapons were discovered in a UNRWA school. A Hamas tunnel was discovered adjacent to a UNRWA facility. Hamas said he had stolen $1 million in supplies for UNRWA since October 7, The facility may have been used to hold hostages.
“UNRWA has also faced long-standing criticism for its educational programs that inculcate anti-Semitism and terrorism among Palestinian youth,” he added.
The Biden administration is Donate $1 billion Germany, the second-largest donor, also suspended donations following the shocking news.
The State Department last week announced that $122 million has been disbursed to refugee agencies since October to provide food, water, shelter and other necessities to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. revealed to the Post.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) previously told the Post that the administration is “on track” to spend a total of $371 million in fiscal year 2024, adding, “How much of this money is one-time? It is not clear whether this will be affected by the “suspension” of the current situation.” ”
Smith and Rep. Brian Mast (R-Florida) then introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to permanently defund and dissolve UNRWA, as well as the Senate’s $118 billion national security supplement. Contains items with the same purpose.
But Issa stressed to the Post that introducing the proposal as part of an upcoming government funding bill would demonstrate its importance.
“We need to support our appropriators as they negotiate the next spending deal. This will make it clear that defunding UNRWA is a Republican priority. ” he said.
Republican co-signers of the letter include New Jersey Representatives Thomas Kean and Chris Smith, Aaron Bean (Florida), Scott DesJarlais (Tennessee), and Mary Miller (Illinois). State), Jeff Duncan (South Carolina), and Mike Flood (Nebraska). , Barry Loudermilk (Georgia), Alex Mooney (West Virginia), Barry Moore (Alabama), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) State), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Burgess Owens (Utah), Pete Stover (Minnesota), Doug LaMalfa (California), Doug Lamborn (Colorado), Wisconsin Republican. Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany, New Yorkers Claudia Tenney and Anthony D’Esposito, and Texas senators Randy Webber, Ronnie Jackson, August Pflueger, Lance Gooden, and Keith Self.
