Uncovering UNRWA’s Terrorist Crimes Act
This bill, titled the Uncovering UNRWA's Terrorist Crimes Act, would require a concrete, government-wide audit-like report from the Secretary of State to Congress on U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The report must be completed within 90 days of enactment and cover all U.S. funding to UNRWA for fiscal years 2020–2024, with the amounts broken out by calendar month, plus a description of how those funds were spent. In addition, the bill immediately prohibits the use of any federal funds to provide funding to UNRWA, directly or indirectly, starting on the date of enactment. The intent appears to be to increase Congressional oversight and to cut or restrict U.S. support for UNRWA amid concerns reflected in the bill’s title about “terrorist crimes.”
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act may be cited as the “Uncovering UNRWA’s Terrorist Crimes Act.”
- 2Reporting requirement (Sec. 2): The Secretary of State must present to Congress, within 90 days after enactment, a report that (a) identifies the total U.S. funding to UNRWA for fiscal years 2020–2024, disaggregated by calendar month, and (b) describes how those funds were spent.
- 3Enforcement/oversight mechanism: The reporting is a direct requirement to Congress, enabling legislative oversight of UNRWA funding.
- 4Prohibition on funding (Sec. 3): Effective on enactment, no federal funds may be used to provide funding to UNRWA, either directly or indirectly.
- 5Scope of prohibition: The ban covers all federal funding to UNRWA, including arrangements where funds might flow through third parties or indirect channels.
- 6Relationship to “other purposes”: The bill’s title alludes to broader concerns, but the prohibited activities and reporting requirements are delineated specifically in the two sections described above.