HYDE-SMITH DISAPPOINTED PRO-ISRAEL/ANTI-TERRORISM LEGISLATION BLOCKED

Miss. Senator Delivers Remarks on Need to Pass the ‘Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act’

 thumbnail
VIDEO:  Senator Hyde-Smith Delivers Strong Speech on Alliance with Israel.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today delivered a strong speech regarding the U.S.-Israel alliance and the need for Congress to act to ensure the Biden administration’s intended aid to Palestine does not ultimately benefit terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Hyde-Smith delivered the remarks as part an effort to gain unanimous consent (UC) for the Senate to pass the Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act (S.1899), legislation that would require the President to certify to Congress that U.S. funds authorized to the territory of Gaza can be spent without benefitting terrorist organizations.

“As the annual appropriations process moves along, I am concerned, as are many of my colleagues, that foreign aid—U.S. taxpayer dollars—could end up in the hands of those who have boldly proclaimed their intent to do harm to Israel and our interests in the region,” Hyde-Smith said.

“The most recent wave of violence in the Middle East makes it clear that our resources must be responsibly spent and kept out of the coffers of terrorist organizations and bad actors whose violence can be bankrolled by commandeering U.S. foreign aid,” she said.

A Democratic objection was raised against to the UC request despite the Biden State Department in May admitting the possibility that American taxpayer dollars could go to fund Hamas terrorists through U.S. aid to the Palestinians.  Hyde-Smith questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken about this problem earlier this month.

The text of Hyde-Smith’s speech is available here.

###