House Republican to introduce bill to slash PA funding

Via the NYSun:

WASHINGTON – Congress is moving quickly in the face of Hamas’s victory in the Palestinian elections to slash American funding for the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations and ensure that America moves to isolate the new regime.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican of Florida, will introduce House legislation this week to slash American funding to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations; designate the Palestinian Authority as a “terrorist sanctuary,” and close down some Palestinian Authority offices in America as part of a reduction of Palestinian-American diplomatic ties.

The bill would be the first official move in Washington toward cutting funding to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority, as concern about the terrorist organization’s electoral victory has prompted increasingly vocal calls on Capitol Hill to stop aid to the Palestinian Arabs.

The bill is expected to be introduced tomorrow when the House reconvenes for President Bush’s State of the Union address, and will start in the House International Relations Committee. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen is chairwoman of the committee’s Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, which has congressional jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority.

“Abu Mazen and the PA leadership were given numerous opportunities to prove what they’re made of – to prove that they’re committed to peace and security,” Ms. Ros-Lehtinen said yesterday of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah Party, also known as Abu Mazen. “They showed their stripes. Even after Israel withdrew from Gaza, they refused to disarm Hamas and other terrorists, and they allowed them to gain strength.

“We must ensure that taxpayer funds are not used to assist, directly or indirectly, those who carry out terrorist attacks and those who allow these attacks to continue by doing nothing to combat terror,” the congresswoman said.

Amen.

It’ll be interesting to see who in the House and (presuming it passes) the Senate puts up a fight against this bill – and why.

(Hat tip: Atlas Shrugs)

In related news, Hamas is demanding Israel change its flag:

Shortly after making his comments about the Hamas, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said from Gaza that Israel must change its flag. “Israel must remove the two blue stripes from its national flag”, said Zahar. “The stripes on the flag are symbols of occupation. They signify Israel’s borders stretching from the River Euphrates to the River Nile.”

Israel’s national flag, a blue Star of David set between two blue stripes, was designed to resemble a Jewish prayer shawl which traditionally has stripes.

When asked whether the Hamas would renounce terrorism, Zahar said in a CNN interview, “What is the international definition of terrorism? When (Israeli planes) attack houses by F-16, just when they are using helicopters, when they are killing people and children and removing our agriculture system, this is terrorism.”

I wonder if Jimmy Carter would agree? Or maybe the UN?

More on PA funding via the WaPo: Rice Rules Out Aiding Hamas-Led Government

9 Responses to "House Republican to introduce bill to slash PA funding"

El Conquistadore says:

January 30, 2006 at 10:15 am

Why in the HELL were MY TAX DOLLARS given to these pieces of dung IN THE FIRST PLACE???

No wonder people cheat on their taxes.

BTW, Sis–just checked the NHL standings. Carolina Hurricanes have the BEST record in the NHL.

Should’ve taken me up on those tickets, hon….
sanity says:

January 30, 2006 at 10:21 am

hmmmm

Hamas demands Israel change its flag….

Everyone else in the world demands Hamas change its spots….

Demands, demands…

Which one seems more reasonable?
PCD says:

January 30, 2006 at 10:35 am

I demand we wipe Hammas off the map and neuter Iran and Syria while we are at it.
ttyler5 says:

January 30, 2006 at 11:32 am

Let’s put that money into a few air strikes …
Dana says:

January 30, 2006 at 2:33 pm

Hamas wants the two blue stripes removed from the Israeli flag; the next demand will be to remove the Star of David, so it will look just like the white flag of surrender that Hamas wants.
PCD says:

January 30, 2006 at 2:37 pm

Dana, no Hamas doesn’t want to turn the Israeli flag into a surrender flag. They want to turn it into a DEATH SHROUD!

Now that the PA is a Terrorist State it should be eliminated from the Earth, along with its supporters.
GBA says:

January 30, 2006 at 2:53 pm

I say screw them both. I can’t think of a single reason to give either of these factions one red cent. Let them both go broke. maybe then they wils stop this idiotic cycle religious based hatred.
The Debate Link says:

January 30, 2006 at 5:24 pm

Bad Prediction

He’s not going to make this mistake again. Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Hamas was acting “responsibly” in the aftermath of their victory in the Palestinian elections. Almost immediately thereafter, Hamas issued the following statem…
Krishna109 says:

January 31, 2006 at 12:55 am

Here are the words of President George W. Bush in an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, which was issued for immediate release, by the Office of the Press Secretary, shortly after 911.

September 20 2001:

“We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists (Applause.)

From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorim will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html

Let’s hope there’s no “flip-flopping on this. It seems to me that many in the State Dept have been pushing for a Pali state at any cost, under the misguided assumption that once there’s a Pali state, no matter who is in charge, that somehow peace & love will just blossom forth…as if by magic.

I can’t help but wondering…what makes them think that if, finally, a “Palestine” is created, that it will be any more democratic than the 20 or so other Arab countries?

“. . . any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”

Hostile regime. I hope the State Dept heard that!

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