To require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries to the Taliban, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6586) to require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by

foreign countries to the Taliban, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6586. I thank my colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for introducing this important legislation to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from ending up in the Taliban's hands.

Since the Biden administration's disastrous withdrawal nearly 3 years ago, the Taliban has established a reign of terror in Afghanistan. The Taliban has banned girls from receiving an education and essentially banned women from participating in public life in any meaningful way. They have supported the public flogging and stoning of women and have prevented women from working for NGOs, significantly restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid.

These abhorrent policies reveal the barbaric heart of Taliban control over Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration continues to flood Afghanistan with money. Since 2021, the U.S. has appropriated nearly $3 billion for assistance to Afghanistan, yet we have little to no oversight over much of this assistance, which is administered by third parties. This administration must be held accountable to ensure that U.S.-provided assistance to Afghanistan does not end up in the Taliban's hands.

Recent reports show that at least 10.9 million U.S. taxpayer dollars have been paid to the Taliban in the form of taxes and fees. Due to lax oversight by this administration, the real number is probably much higher.

Congress has a responsibility to ensure that U.S. tax dollars are not hand-delivered to Taliban terrorists.

While the U.S. maintains a policy of nonrecognition toward the Taliban, countries in the region show increasing signs of engagement. Most recently, the leader of the United Arab Emirates received a number of Taliban officials, including the head of the Haqqani Network terrorist group, which is on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

This administration has no written strategy to discourage foreign nations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban. It is essential that we hold nations that receive U.S. assistance accountable and ensure that they do not empower the Taliban.

This bill requires the administration to report on what exactly they are doing to conduct oversight of U.S. money going to Afghanistan and requires them to identify which foreign nations are funding the Taliban. This

basic oversight is essential to ensuring that the American people and our partners around the world are not paying for the Taliban's reign of terror.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, the world cannot turn a blind eye while the Taliban continues to wreak havoc on the lives of the Afghan people.

The Biden administration and our partners and allies have a responsibility to ensure that funding flowing to Afghanistan solely benefits the Afghan people and not their Taliban overlords. We must not be complicit in funding Taliban atrocities in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, and I appreciate the kind words of the gentleman across the aisle and his support for this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, over $7 billion worth of military equipment was left behind for the Taliban. This seems to be a usual occurrence for this country, no matter who is in power.

I was the mayor of Knox County. With anywhere from $10 million to $15 million, we can build a high school in Tennessee. I can't imagine what $7 billion would do across the country. Anyway, all that is outrageous.

Every cent our government spends comes from the American people, and right now, we are borrowing a whole heck of a lot of it. We are $35 trillion in debt. The fact that their money has gone to terrorists, to me, is just a complete disgrace, Mr. Speaker. This bill would help prevent any more money from ending up in the hands of the Taliban.

The bill does three things.

First, it states the policy of the United States is to oppose financial or material support to the dadgum Taliban. It also calls for a report on any foreign countries that have given financial or material support to the Taliban and calls for the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to discourage foreign countries from providing support.

This came from a conversation I had in a committee. I want to give John Stout in my office some incredible kudos for helping me craft this bill. We asked a member, I believe it was, of the State Department, this money that we give to these organizations, these countries, is there any way to keep it from getting into the hands of terrorists? In fact, he said: No. In this case, there was not.

Second, this bill calls for a report on cash assistance programs in Afghanistan and puts safeguards in place to prevent the Taliban from accessing it, keeping them from getting to the money.

Third, it requires a report on the Afghan Fund and the Afghanistan central bank and what controls are in place to make sure these funds are not diverted or misused.

Thirteen brave servicemembers, including a constituent of mine, Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, lost their lives in the Afghanistan withdrawal. He was technically the last American to lose his life in Afghanistan. The road I live on, the State highway, has been named in his honor. I see it every day when I drive down it, and I think about that.

I have held his parents both when they have cried and I have cried, and it is just very emotional for me. These folks lost their lives in the Afghanistan withdrawal, and we need to make sure our tax dollars don't go toward terrorists who killed Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill, which keeps our government accountable and prevents the Taliban from getting its hands on any more of Americans' hard-earned money. I thank my friends across the aisle as well for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6586, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, even several years after our withdrawal, the United States continues to have important interests in Afghanistan, not only ensuring it is never again used as a base for terrorists to plan attacks against the United States but also keeping our commitment to the Afghan people.

Keeping that commitment means continuing to advocate for a more inclusive government that respects human rights, particularly for women and girls. It means that we continue humanitarian assistance to support the Afghan people, and it means that we never forget that too many Afghans who supported our decades-long mission are there.

The reports and strategy included in this legislation address the important issue of how we can prevent the erosion of our tools to influence Taliban behavior without a presence on the ground. We must ensure our assistance is not diverted or misused and that the international community remains unified in insisting that the Taliban fulfills their commitment and improves their record, particularly on human rights, before they can receive international recognition. We must ensure that the Afghan Fund, which holds the former assets of the Afghan central bank, is used for the benefit of the Afghan people.

I thank Mr. Burchett and Chairman McCaul for their collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Committee minority staff to improve this legislation, particularly in clarifying that what we are looking to address are actions that are inconsistent with U.S. law and policy. For example, we have made exceptions in sanctions against the Taliban to allow for the continued delivery of humanitarian aid, which supports our interests.

I hope that the reports mandated by this bill will offer valuable insights and assurances about our continued engagement in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time that I am aware of, and I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is critical for preserving the United States' ability to influence the Taliban and keep our commitments to the Afghan people.

Again, I thank Mr. Burchett and Mr. McCaul for working with the House Foreign Affairs Committee minority to ensure that this bill remains aligned with our values and aligned with our larger policy goals in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.