Taxpayer Dollars Could Reach Terrorists Under Biden Admin Aid ChangesMcCaul Says

Adam KredoJanuary 6, 2023

Treasury Department Autorizations make it simpler to allocate dollars in conflict areas.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R. Texas) / Getty Images Adam Kredo • January 6, 2023, 3:15 PM

Biden Treasury Department authorizations, announced late last year, rolled back safeguards on U.S. humanitarian aid, a move that is likely to pave the way for millions in taxpayer dollars to reach “designated terrorists, human rights abusers, and violent authoritarian regimes,” According to a congressional leader in foreign policy.

The Concerns are being raised about authorizations that will make it easier to allocate aid dollars in conflict zones and areas where terrorist activities are taking place. Congress. Rep. Michael McCaul (R. Texas), the incoming chair of the House Foreign Affairs CommitteeAccording to, in its rush for aid dollars to the door, the Biden Administration is relaxing long-standing safeguards to stop taxpayer aid enriching malign regimes or terrorist supporters.

“By relaxing longstanding basic restrictions on the provision of aid to countries subject to U.S. sanctions, [the] action by the Biden administration increases the likelihood some of our assistance funding will go to designated terrorists, human rights abusers, and violent authoritarian regimes,” McCaul made the statement in a statement. “I urge the administration to reverse this decision.”

As Part of this calibration, the Treasury Department issued U.S. taxpayer dollars will be injected into areas that were historically subject to severe sanctions. China, Cuba, Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, IranAccording to congressional officials, the new initiative was approved.

The Treasury Department These sources claimed that changes have been made to remove longstanding restrictions preventing U.S. assistance from being injected into sanctioned regions. To These restrictions can be evaded United States The funneling of taxpayer dollars to United Nations Organizations that work in these conflict zones.

The U.N. agencies are also protected by aid policy in case U.S. dollars end up in terrorist hands or other sanctioned entities such as the United Nations. Taliban Or Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in SyriaAccording to one congressional official who is keeping track of the matter, it was.

Samantha PowerThe U.S. Agency For International Development’s (USAID) administrator, acknowledged in a statement issued late last year that the new aid practices will grant blanket immunity to organizations operating in conflict areas.

The changes, Power “Will mitigate the legal risks that our partners face when they work in conflict-plagued areas and will provide assurance for financial institutions and other institutions,” he said.