House Resolution Prohibiting Assistance
to Palestinian Authority
(June 15, 2006)
In June 2006, President Bush signed emergency supplemental funding bill HR.4939 providing assistance for Gulf Coast hurricane victims and appropriating funds for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill also included a provision forbidding funding of the Palestinian Authority until it "demonstrated its commitment to the principles of nonviolence, the recognition of Israel, and the acceptance of previous agreements and obligations."
SEC. 550.
(a) PROHIBITION ON ASSISTANCE- None of the
funds appropriated by this Act or any prior Act making
appropriations for foreign operations, export financing,
and related programs, may be obligated or expended
for assistance for the Palestinian Authority unless
the Secretary of State determines, and so reports
to the Committees on Appropriations, that the Palestinian
Authority has complied with the standards contained
in the Quartet's January 30, 2006 Statement on the
Situation in the Middle East that a future Palestinian
government must be committed to nonviolence, recognition
of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements
and obligations, including the Roadmap.
(b) WAIVER AUTHORITY-
(1) The President may waive subsection (a) with
respect to the administrative and personal security
costs of the Office of the President of the Palestinian
Authority, for activities of the President of the
Palestinian Authority to promote democracy, peaceful
resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
and the rule of law, and with respect to independent
agencies, if the President certifies and reports
to the Committees on Appropriations that--
(A) it is in the national security interest of
the United States to provide such assistance;
(B) as the case may be, the President of the Palestinian
Authority, the President's party, and independent
agencies and any members thereof, are not members
of, appointed by, or effectively controlled by
Hamas or any other foreign terrorist organization;
and
(C) assistance provided under the authority of
this subsection will not be transferred or retransferred
to any member of Hamas or other foreign terrorist
organization or to any entity effectively controlled
by Hamas or other foreign terrorist organization.
(2) Not less than 15 days prior to exercising the
authority provided in this subsection, the President
shall consult with, and shall provide a written
policy justification to, the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and the Senate
and the Committee on International Relations of
the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(c) REPORT- Whenever the waiver authority pursuant
to subsection (b) is exercised, the President shall
submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations
describing how the funds will be spent and the accounting
procedures in place to ensure proper oversight and
accountability.'.
(b) Effective on the date of enactment of this Act,
none of the funds appropriated under the heading
Economic Support Fund' in Public Law 109-102 (119
Stat. 2217) or any prior Act making appropriations
for foreign operations, export financing and related
programs may be obligated for assistance for the
West Bank and Gaza until the Secretary of State consults
with the Committees on Appropriations, submits a
revised plan for such assistance to the Committees
on Appropriations, and determines and reports to
the Committees on Appropriations that appropriate
procedures and safeguards exist to ensure that United
States assistance is not provided to or through any
individual, private or government entity, or educational
institution, that the Secretary knows or has reason
to believe advocates, plans, sponsors, engages in,
or has engaged in, terrorist activity.
SEC. 1305. Of the funds appropriated under the heading
Subsidy Appropriation' for the Export-Import Bank
of the United States that are available for tied-aid
grants in title I of Public Law 107-115 and under
such heading in prior Acts making appropriations
for foreign operations, export financing, and related
programs, $37,000,000 are rescinded.
SEC. 1306. To the extent not otherwise authorized,
supervision and administrative costs of the Department
of Defense associated with a construction project
funded with the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund
may be obligated at the time a construction contract
is awarded or, for pre-existing contracts, by September
30, 2006: Provided, That for the purposes
of this section, supervision and administration costs
include all in-house Government costs.
Sources: THOMAS |