Tim Burchett: “Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 260, focuses on three main issues: one, keeping financial and material support out of the…”

“Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 260, focuses on three main issues: one, keeping financial and material support out of the hands of the Taliban; two, reporting on cash assistance programs; and three, reporting on the Afghan Fund and the Afghan central bank. Since December 2021, the United States has sent over $5 billion in cash to Kabul. This money has been taxed and stolen by the Taliban, yet we continue to send it. Mr. Speaker, that needs to end. The State Department needs to ensure that any aid does not go to terrorists in Afghanistan. We need to have a clearer understanding of the influence the Taliban has on not just international aid but the Afghan banking system, as well. When this bill was originally introduced at the end of 2023, it did not mention nongovernmental organizations in Afghanistan. However, our understanding of the reality on the ground has changed. During a hearing last year, former Secretary of State Blinken admitted that over $10 million had been paid to the Taliban. Contacts within Taliban resistance forces have provided me with a different narrative. According to them, nearly all of the cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban. Mr. Speaker, they will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars. It is time we know what is going on and implement a strategy to make sure this aid goes to those who need it.”