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Floor Speech
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Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, today, myself and my distinguished colleague from Montana, Senator Sheehy, rise in support of what is perhaps the most commonsense national security legislation that has come across the Senate floor this year.
The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act will help to prevent even one American dollar from going to terrorist organizations like the Taliban.
American military personnel spent years fighting the Taliban. Over 2,000 Americans were killed in Afghanistan, and more than 20,000 were wounded. It is a slap on the face of these veterans and their families if even one taxpayer dollar would flow to this organization.
We need to know that the NGOs and the foreign nations that aid is provided to do not pass those dollars to the very organizations that look to harm us.
The Taliban and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan try to erase women and girls from society. Christians and other minority groups face constant threats, including torture, kidnapping, and murder.
Idahoans and all Americans deserve to know that not one of their hard-earned tax dollars is going to fund these heinous organizations.
I am thankful that President Trump has cut off aid to Afghanistan in an attempt to stop money from flowing to the Taliban.
This bill that is before us right now will ensure that Congress is made aware of any exploitation of our tax dollars by the Taliban or to the Taliban, and that the U.S. Government has a plan to address that.
This vote is an easy, resounding yes. It is beyond understanding why anyone would be against this legislation, where we are trying to keep money out of the hands of terrorists--our money.
If Democrats continue to block this bill, as they have done for months, I am committed--and I recommit--to moving it as quickly as I can through regular process in my Foreign Relations Committee. This bill should become law.
I urge my Democrat colleagues to join us to ensure that no American tax dollars go to the Taliban.
I yield to my distinguished colleague from Montana.
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Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I thank Senator Sheehy for those remarks. I think you are absolutely correct that Americans have no idea that some of their taxpayer dollars are actually winding up in the hands of terrorists.
I know there will be people who say: Oh, we can't do this because some money needs to go in there to help women, children, babies--that sort of thing.
What we have learned, if we have learned anything from what has happened in Gaza, is that when you have a terrorist organization that is in charge of a country, it is impossible to keep the money, food, or anything else that is sent in there out of the hands of terrorists.
If you see the terrorists on TV, they always look well fed. They are well armed. They are doing well. And, at the same time, the babies in the country are starving to death, and the same thing with the women and young children.
So with that, this legislation is designed exactly to do that, and that is, to keep every dollar out of the hands of these terrorists.
260 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
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