Rand Paul

Mr. President, Reasoning · 61 wordsit should not be controversial to say that Congress should know the circumstances of the deaths of our own citizens abroad in any country. It should be equally uncontroversial to say, in the spirit of transparency and oversight, that Congress must also be aware of human rights abuses anywhere abroad where billions of taxpayer dollars have been sent over the years. Claims · 18 wordsSince 1993, the United States has provided $7.8 billion in bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza.¹ Reasoning · 33 wordsAs Washington throws money every which way, Congress must at least ensure that those taxpayer dollars advance our core interests, let alone not reward those who seek to harm us or our allies. Claims · 140 wordsYet, despite American generosity, human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza, committed by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and other groups, have been well documented over the years. In 2024, the State Department reported that Palestinian Authority officials engaged in unlawful or arbitrary killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, severe restrictions on the freedom of expression, persecution of journalists, ²and the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict and much more.³ Of course, we can never forget the brutal attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, ⁴which killed some 1,200 innocent men, women, ⁵and children--among them, 46 citizens.⁶ A further 254 people were taken hostage, including 12 Americans, who endured unimaginable conditions.⁷ One U.S.-Israeli citizen, Edan Alexander, survived 584 days in captivity and upon his release vowed to return to Israel to continue his service in the IDF, saying: ⁸Reasoning · 44 wordsSuch acts of courage should inspire Congress to ensure that not one more taxpayer dime ever again goes to Palestinian governing entities that engage in human rights abuses and that directly threaten support or turn a blind eye to groups that target American citizens. Claims · 144 wordsMy bill is simple. It requires Palestinian governing entities to meet certain commonsense conditions before they receive any additional American assistance.⁹ Under my bill, U.S. foreign assistance to any Palestinian Government entity or international organization operating in the West Bank or Gaza which is funded by taxpayer dollars would be frozen unless said government entity meets some commonsense conditions.¹⁰ Namely, they must recognize the State of Israel, renounce terrorism and the October 7 attacks, remove individuals with terrorist ties from their security services, terminate all funding for anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, ¹¹and honor previously agreed diplomatic agreements. My bill would also strengthen congressional oversight by requiring that the State Department provide to Congress a report on human rights practices in the West Bank and Gaza and examine whether the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, ¹²or any other Palestinian governing entity continues to commit human rights abuses. Reasoning · 67 wordsFunding Palestinian entities that do not recognize Israel’s right to exist and fund anti-American and anti-Israel activities makes no sense.No reason given At its core, this legislation establishes a principle of accountability. American taxpayers should know where their money is going, Congress should be able to oversee how it is being used, and foreign entities receiving the benefits of American assistance should be expected to meet clearly articulated standards. The ask · 49 wordsI therefore ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of my bill, which is at the desk. 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.