Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “No More Taxpayer Cash for the Taliban Act”.
No More Taxpayer Cash for the Taliban Act
A BILL
To prohibit the use of Federal funds for direct cash assistance in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of congress
Findings— Congress finds the following:
Billions of United States taxpayer dollars are being flown into Afghanistan, where they are directly and indirectly benefiting the illegitimate Taliban regime.
The sudden and disorganized withdrawal of the United States military presence in Afghanistan ordered by the President in August 2021 destabilized the Afghan National Security Forces, leading to the Taliban taking control of Kabul on August 15, 2021.
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), since August 2021, the United Nations has purchased and transported at least $2,900,000,000 for use in Afghanistan.
As of January 2024, of the $2,900,000,000 that the United Nations has sent to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan since August 2021, the United States Government has provided $2,600,000,000 of taxpayer dollars.
Inside Afghanistan, the United Nations uses this United States currency to buy local currency, afghani, from the Taliban-controlled central bank of Afghanistan, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB).
According to SIGAR, the Taliban has directly and indirectly benefited from United States currency shipments to Afghanistan in multiple ways.
The Taliban “taxes” direct cash assistance, stealing millions of United States taxpayer dollars.
The Taliban charges currency exchange fees when international organizations convert United States currency into afghani using DAB.
The revenues from aid taxation and currency exchange fees can be used by the Taliban to fund their priorities, including their military and security services.
The influx of United States currency into the Taliban-controlled central bank has propped up the value of the afghani.
United Nations purchases of afghani from the Taliban-controlled central bank have provided the Taliban with millions in largely untraceable United States currency.
Sense of congress— It is the sense of Congress that no taxpayer dollars should be given to support the illegitimate Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Sec. 3 Prohibitions
Direct cash assistance prohibited— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds may be made available by any Federal department or agency in the form of direct cash assistance to any person in Afghanistan.
Assistance to United Nations and other nongovernmental organizations limited— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds may be obligated or expended by any Federal department or agency to provide funds to the United Nations, a non-governmental organization, or a public international organization, if such funds will be used to provide direct cash assistance to any person in Afghanistan.
Prohibition on sale of United States currency to the United Nations— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may not sell, or authorize a Federal reserve bank to sell, United States currency to the United Nations for the purpose of direct cash assistance in Afghanistan.