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The bipartisan budget bill that aims to fund the government for the remainder of the year received criticism from the progressive community for including a provision that would suspend direct funding from the US to the primary humanitarian organization in Gaza until 2025.
The chairs of the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate have unveiled the language of six spending bills to maintain government operations until the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. However, liberal activists swiftly denounced the bills for discontinuing support to Palestinians during a period of dire need.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Representative, stated to The Independent that stopping direct funding to the organization would be morally unjustifiable.
She expressed that it is not logical and lacks solid evidence. She also mentioned that there are intelligence evaluations that support this.
The UNRWA has been the primary source for supplying food, water, and shelter in Gaza during the conflict that started on October 7th. This conflict began when Hamas fighters initiated an assault on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of 250 individuals. Since then, over 30,000 Palestinian lives have been lost due to retaliatory attacks by the Israel Defense Forces, as reported by the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
A potential spending bill currently under consideration by Congress would prevent US funds from being allocated towards “contribution, grant, or other payment” to UNRWA until March 2025.
According to the Associated Press, UNRWA has come under intense investigation after Israeli authorities accused certain employees in Gaza of being involved in the 7 October attack carried out by Hamas militants. Israel previously asserted that around 450 workers of UNRWA were affiliated with militant groups in Gaza, without providing any proof.
, Gaza,
Palestinians who have been forced to relocate are waiting in Rafah, Gaza to receive aid from UNRWA.
As a result of the mentioned reports, President Joe Biden suspended US funding to UNRWA in January while awaiting the results of the United Nations (UN) investigation. This suspension is still in effect.
Numerous nations announced that they would discontinue providing financial support in reaction, but numerous have since changed their mind, such as Australia, Sweden, and Canada. The European Union has also committed to giving $54m to UNRWA in the past month, following the agency’s acceptance of permitting EU-appointed specialists to review its protocols for identifying extremists among its staff.
Ro Khanna, a fellow progressive, raised similar concerns to those of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.
The congressman expressed outrage to The Independent, stating that it is unacceptable to limit funding for children in Gaza who are at risk of death.
Delia Ramirez, a representative from Illinois, stated to The Independent that she will be informed about the proposed legislation, but expressed concern about the potential repercussions of limiting aid to UNRWRA.
She stated, “Rather than imposing limitations, we should be working towards healing. I have been vocal about this in public.” She expressed concern over the fact that individuals are actually dying of hunger and that we are partly to blame for this issue.
Besides providing assistance to individuals in Gaza, UNRWA also provides aid to millions of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
A UNRWA employee is getting ready to hand out relief supplies.
The Associated Press holds the copyright for this content. All rights reserved.
Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, is against the provision due to his belief that UNRWA is a crucial source of aid beyond Gaza’s borders.
“Let’s put aside Gaza for a moment: According to Mr. Kaine, UNRWA plays a crucial role in Jordan and other countries where there may not be other aid organizations available. In his opinion, this is a significant flaw in the bill,” Mr. Kaine stated in an interview with The Independent.
Some expressed worries about the potential aftermath of UNRWA’s departure from Gaza, as no other organization may be able to step in to fill the void.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin expressed that he was not aware of any other organization capable of carrying out the task at hand, in an interview with The Independent.
Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, who is in favor of a ceasefire, has previously shown support for UNRWA and expressed opposition to the provision on Thursday.
He expressed his disappointment that funding for UNRWA, the main provider of assistance to starving individuals, would be discontinued.
Although some people have criticized the provision, Republican leaders consider it beneficial. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson praised the decision and agreed with Israel’s perspective.
In a statement, Mr. Johnson indicated that it will cease financial support for the United Nations agency that hired terrorists involved in the October 7 assault on Israel.
Mike Johnson and other GOP members have been in favor of stopping financial aid to UNRWA for a long time.
Despite being strong supporters of Israel, some Democrats express concern over limiting funding for UNRWA. Senator Ben Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, referred to it as a “mistaken type of restriction.”
“I believe there is a clear suspension concerning Gaza,” stated Mr Cardin, who identifies as Jewish, during an interview with The Independent. “It should be noted that the UNRWA operates in various other nations, not just in Gaza.”
The decision to stop funding UNRWA is included in a significantly larger spending bill totaling $1.2 trillion, which is being passed just days before the government would potentially shutdown. This spending bill, also referred to as a “minibus,” will allocate funds for various departments including the State Department, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, Congress, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and financial services for the general government. If this bill is approved, Congress will have successfully finished the budgeting process for the current fiscal year, after previous unsuccessful attempts and continuing resolutions.
Due to the opposition from Republicans and the small margin of their majority, the spending bill may face a vote to suspend the rules, needing a two-thirds majority in the House. However, if progressives also oppose the bill, it may not pass.
This legislation marks a recurring instance of the US halting or reducing financial support for the UNRWA. In 2018, former President Donald Trump completely ceased funding, which was later reinstated by President Joe Biden in 2021.
If the minibus is approved, Mr. Biden has expressed his willingness to sign it without delay.
The Independent is a British online news publicationIt cannot be reworded.
