{"id":2187964,"date":"2024-02-27T16:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T21:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-exempted-itself-from-anti-terrorism-laws-to-send-aid-to-gaza-senate-republicans-want-to-strip-that-authority\/"},"modified":"2024-02-27T17:03:42","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T22:03:42","slug":"biden-admin-exempted-itself-from-anti-terrorism-laws-to-send-aid-to-gaza-senate-republicans-want-to-strip-that-authority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-exempted-itself-from-anti-terrorism-laws-to-send-aid-to-gaza-senate-republicans-want-to-strip-that-authority\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden Admin exempted from anti-terrorism laws to aid Gaza; Senate GOP aims to revoke authority"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-admin-exempted-itself-from-anti-terrorism-laws-to-send-aid-to-gaza-senate-republicans-want-to-strip-that-authority%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2187964&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Senate Republicans\u2063 Seek to Limit Biden Administration&#8217;s \u200cPower to Fund Palestinian\u200d Territories<\/h2>\n<p>Senate Republicans are taking action to prevent the Biden administration from bypassing federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/actblue-facilitating-donations-to-terror-tied-charity-legal-group-says\/\" title=\"ActBlue Facilitating Donations to Terror-Tied Charity, Legal Group Says\">anti-terrorism laws<\/a> and providing taxpayer funding to the Palestinian territories, including the war-torn\u2063 Gaza Strip. \u2062Led by Senator Ted Cruz and \u200chis Republican colleagues, \u200bthis legislation is a response to a <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/biden-administration\/biden-admin-raised-concerns-palestinian-aid-would-boost-hamas-it-went-ahead-with-aid-anyway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> that revealed the administration&#8217;s exemption from anti-terrorism\u200b laws to resume funding to Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n<h3>Blocking Exemptions and Ensuring Accountability<\/h3>\n<p>The bill, \u200dknown as the\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TUNNELS-Act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TUNNELS Act<\/a>, aims to remove the authority that allows the Biden administration to bypass laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars in\u2063 areas controlled by terrorist factions. Senators\u2064 Tom \u2063Cotton, Bill Hagerty, and Marco\u2064 Rubio are backing this legislation, which\u2063 would prevent future administrations from granting themselves sanctions exemptions to provide aid to \u200dGaza during the ongoing\u2062 conflict with Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>This measure is expected to receive widespread support from Republicans in both the House and Senate. However, it may face opposition from Democrats who \u2064advocate for increased\u200b American aid\u2063 to Gaza. Additionally, the Biden\u2063 administration, which is urging Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza,\u200c is likely to fiercely oppose this legislation.<\/p>\n<h3>Concerns Over Funding Violations\u2062 and Terrorist \u200bSupport<\/h3>\n<p>The Biden \u2063administration\u2064 initially resumed funding to the Palestinians in 2021\u200b by obtaining\u200d a license from \u2062the Treasury Department \u200dto bypass counterterrorism laws. State Department officials argued that this authorization was necessary to support various projects in \u2062Gaza and the West Bank. However, \u2064critics, including Senator Cruz, argue that exempting oneself\u2064 from anti-terrorism laws to provide funding\u2062 to groups like UNRWA, which\u200b has \u200bbeen found to employ Hamas militants, is \u2062unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>By \u200cDecember 2022, \u200bthe administration had written a general license into the anti-terrorism regulations to ensure continued aid flow, despite concerns\u2063 about\u200c Hamas intercepting the \u2064funds.\u200b Senator \u2062Cruz&#8217;s bill aims to eliminate these authorities\u2062 and\u200d revert the law back \u200bto its original form, \u200dpreventing the American government and U.S.-funded nonprofits from using taxpayer money for projects in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<h3>Challenges \u2064and Controversies<\/h3>\n<p>Republicans, including Cruz, have also raised concerns \u200dthat the administration&#8217;s funding to the Palestinians violates the Taylor\u2063 Force Act, which freezes U.S.\u2063 funding \u200buntil\u200c the Palestinian government ends\u2064 its\u2062 policy of \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/palestinian-government-still-pays-terrorists-as-us-aid-dollars-flow\/\" title=\"Palestinian Government Still Pays Terrorists as US Aid Dollars Flow\">paying imprisoned terrorists<\/a>. Furthermore,\u2064 accusations\u2063 have been made that the Biden administration deleted references to Palestinian terror incitement\u200b in an official report sent to Congress, raising suspicions \u2063of \u2062an attempt to whitewash the \u200cissue.<\/p>\n<p>Published under: <strong>Biden Administration<\/strong>, <strong>Foreign Aid<\/strong>,\u200c <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, <strong>Hamas<\/strong>, <strong>Israel<\/strong>, <strong>Palestinian Authority<\/strong>, <strong>Palestinians<\/strong>, <strong>Sanctions<\/strong>, <strong>Ted Cruz<\/strong>, <strong>Terrorism<\/strong>, <strong>UNRWA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2063How does the TUNNELS Act aim to prevent\u200b taxpayer funds from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-bankrolls-group-accused-of-cooperating-with-palestinian-terrorists\/\" title=\"State Department funds group accused of 'collaborating' with Palestinian terrorists.\">inadvertently supporting terrorism<\/a> in the Palestinian territories?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Tion may push\u200c back against the bill, as it would limit \u200btheir ability \u2062to provide assistance to the Palestinian territories without going through \u200bthe usual channels and oversight processes.<\/p>\n<h3>The Reasoning\u200c Behind the Legislation<\/h3>\n<p>The motivation\u200c behind the TUNNELS Act is rooted in concerns over terrorism financing \u2063and the\u200c potential for taxpayer funds to be \u200dfunneled \u200bto terrorist\u2062 organizations operating in the Palestinian territories. The Gaza\u200d Strip, \u200cin particular, \u200dis controlled \u2064by the militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization\u2064 by the United States.\u2063 <\/p>\n<p>By removing the ability for\u200c the Biden administration to \u200dbypass \u200canti-terrorism laws, Senate Republicans seek to ensure \u200dthat taxpayer \u2063funds are not\u2063 inadvertently supporting terrorism or contributing to the perpetuation of violence in the region. This legislation aims to hold the administration accountable and prevent them from making unilateral \u2062decisions\u200c that could have unintended consequences for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-war-vets-warn-biden-against-shuttering-gitmo\/\" title=\"Congressional War Vets Warn Biden Against Shuttering Gitmo\">national security interests<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>The Debate Surrounding Aid to the \u200bPalestinian Territories<\/h3>\n<p>The issue of providing aid to the Palestinian territories is a contentious one, with arguments\u2064 on both sides of the debate. Advocates for increased aid \u200dargue that it\u200b is necessary to support the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, where the population has been severely impacted by ongoing \u200dconflicts and an economic crisis.<\/p>\n<p>However, opponents \u200dof unrestricted\u2063 aid\u200b express concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the distribution of funds, as \u200dwell as the potential for funds\u200b to end up in the hands of \u200cterrorist organizations. The TUNNELS Act, therefore, seeks to address these concerns by ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not being used to further the interests \u200dof terrorist factions.<\/p>\n<h3>The \u200dPotential Implications and Next Steps<\/h3>\n<p>If the\u2062 TUNNELS Act successfully passes\u200d in Congress, \u2062it \u200ccould have significant implications for the Biden administration&#8217;s ability to provide \u2062direct \u2064funding to the Palestinian territories without \u200dgoing through the \u2062required channels.\u200c This could lead to a\u200c reevaluation of the current\u200d approach to aid distribution in the region\u200c and may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-received-payment-from-his-brother-with-shady-business-dealings-comer-says\/\" title=\"Comer alleges shady business dealings involving Biden's brother and payment.\">prompt increased scrutiny<\/a> over how funds are allocated and monitored.<\/p>\n<p>The future of the TUNNELS Act remains uncertain, as it will likely face opposition from those who argue for increased aid \u2063to the Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, for Senate Republicans,\u2063 this legislation represents an\u200d important step towards maintaining oversight and accountability in the distribution of taxpayer\u200c funds,\u2062 particularly in areas\u2062 where terrorist \u200dorganizations \u200cmay operate.<\/p>\n<h4>Sources:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/biden-administration\/biden-admin-raised-concerns-palestinian-aid-would-boost-hamas-it-went-ahead-with-aid-anyway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Free Beacon<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TUNNELS-Act.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TUNNELS Act<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, aim to curb the Biden administration&#8217;s ability to bypass anti-terrorism laws and allocate taxpayer funds to the Palestinian territories, including the strife-ridden Gaza Strip. This move seeks to limit the administration&#8217;s power, as revealed by the Washington Free Beacon. Three other Republican senators are also involved in this legislation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2187965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/senate-hearing-examines-us-airline-industry-e1695832102739.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2187964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/senate-hearing-examines-us-airline-industry-e1695832102739.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2187964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2187964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2187964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2187965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2187964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2187964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2187964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}