Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and other Republicans have introduced the Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act, a bill that would halt direct or indirect taxpayer dollars to the Gaza Strip. The legislation aims to ensure U.S. funding is not being used to benefit terrorist groups like Hamas until all the hostages are released.
The legislation would grant the President the ability to certify whether funding can enter the region.
Sen. Scott shared that the United States must hold off on sending taxpayer dollars to Gaza until Hamas and other terrorist organizations are out of the region.
“Iran-backed Hamas terrorists are evil people who kill babies in cold blood, rape and murder young women, and kidnap and hold hostage Americans and Israelis, as they have for nearly 540 days now," said Sen. Scott. "Until Hamas is destroyed and out of Gaza for good, the United States cannot commit U.S. tax dollars to aid the region knowing these terrorists will use it to fuel its terror."
The Florida senator mentioned that President Trump's presence in the Oval Office reignites America's agenda to defend Israel and fight terrorism.
"With President Trump back in the White House, America’s commitment to defending Israel, combating terrorism, and ensuring tax dollars are spent in Americans’ best interests has never been stronger," said Scott. "We must pass my Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act to ensure that no American taxpayer dollars are ever used to support Hamas or any terrorist organization that threatens us or our ally, Israel.”
Moreover, Sen. Cruz, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in February that American institutions such as USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) have already distributed "hundreds of millions" of taxpayer dollars to Hamas through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
"USAID secretly poured uncountable hundreds of millions of dollars toward Hamas, including tens of millions of cash they could never account for. Throughout the Biden admin, they knew the money they were pouring into Gaza would benefit Hamas. They did it anyway," said Sen. Cruz.
Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV), and Tom Cotton (R-AR) are also co-sponsors.
