Committee backs memorial urging Congress to block U.S. funds reaching the Taliban

The Senate Committee on Military, Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security on Jan. 27 reported favorably on Senate Memorial 1714, which urges the U.S. Congress to pass the measure the memorial terms the "No Tax Dollars for Terrorist Act." The memorial was presented to the committee by Senator Trunow on behalf of Senator Martin.

"Senate Memorial 1714 urges the United States Congress to pass HR 260, the no tax dollars for terrorist act, which would require the federal government to implement a strategy to prevent US taxpayer funds from benefiting the Taliban," Senator Trunow told the committee during the presentation. The memorial text asserts — in its own words — that the U.S. government and nongovernmental organizations are "sending over $40,000,000 per year per week into Afghanistan, where funds ultimately benefit the Taliban." The memorial also lists the Taliban's alleged connections to groups such as al-Qaida and the Haqqani network and catalogs human-rights abuses.

Senators offered no debate after the presentation and the clerk recorded the memorial as reported favorably by the committee. The committee did not take any further legislative action on the memorial beyond reporting it favorably to the next stage.

Why it matters: The memorial asks Congress to adopt a federal strategy to prevent taxpayer assistance from benefiting a designated militant organization. The committee's favorable report advances that ask to the next stage of legislative consideration at the federal level.

What was said: "The memorial states that the United States government and nongovernment organizations are sending over $40,000,000 per year per week into Afghanistan," the memorial text reads; the phrasing in the memorial as read to the committee is ambiguous and the committee record does not provide a clarified numeric source.

Next steps: SM1714 was reported favorably by the committee and will be transmitted according to legislative practice; the committee record notes the favorable report but does not record further committee-level actions on this memorial.