KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – US Congressman Tim Burchett has introduced a bill titled “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act” aimed at ensuring that US financial aid does not benefit the Taliban.
The bill, introduced to the House of Representatives on Thursday, January 9, requires the US Department of State to develop and implement a policy to block any foreign aid from reaching the Taliban, Burchett announced via X, formerly known as Twitter.
If enacted, the legislation will also require detailed reporting on cash aid programs in Afghanistan and the measures to prevent the Taliban from accessing these funds.
Additionally, it calls for greater transparency regarding the Afghan Fund, which holds $3.5 billion of Afghanistan’s frozen assets deposited in a Swiss bank, and oversight of the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan Central Bank.
“It is crazy that legislation like this needs to be introduced in the first place,” Congressman Burchett wrote on X.
Despite the US ending its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan in August 2021, it remains the largest donor to the country, having provided $3.3 billion in humanitarian and development aid since then, according to the US government watchdog SIGAR. The watchdog further revealed that US partners have paid nearly $11 million in fees, taxes, duties, and utility bills to the Taliban regime.
In recent years, US lawmakers, SIGAR, and various groups opposing the Taliban have raised concerns over the misuse of funds, highlighting the Taliban’s infiltration into aid mechanisms. Critics warn that such funds risk supporting the Taliban’s unrecognized and oppressive regime or financing extremist and terrorist groups. According to the UN, around 20 such groups are operating in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Similar bills were introduced last year by Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Burchett, both of which called for withholding US funds to Afghanistan. While Burchett’s previous bill passed in the US House of Representatives, it failed to receive a vote in the Senate. This time, he expects stronger bipartisan support from the Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration.
Earlier this month, Burchett sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, urging him to halt financial support to the Taliban due to concerns over the misuse of funds and their potential role in financing global terrorism.
“The United States of America should not fund its enemies abroad,” Burchett stated in the letter. “I implore you to take action to stop wasteful foreign aid spending and support efforts in Congress to prioritize Americans,” he added.
