Knox Times

U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett has introduced the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, aiming to prevent financial support from reaching the Taliban. This legislative effort follows his previous introduction of H.R. 6586 in December 2023, which sought to halt such support.

Rep. Burchett stated, "There's been a lot of work done on this bill and I couldn't have raised the issue without the help of Shawn Ryan and Legend. This legislation has been sat on long enough. I look forward to working it through both chambers and getting it to President Trump's desk as quickly possible."

The initiative gained momentum after revelations that weekly cash shipments amounting to $40 million were sent to Afghanistan's Central Bank. During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in December 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that approximately $10 million had been paid to the Taliban as taxes.

H.R. 6586 successfully passed through both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House of Representatives but was not brought for a vote by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The new bill, H.R. 260, seeks improvements over its predecessor by mandating the State Department develop policies opposing foreign aid to the Taliban, requiring reports on cash assistance programs in Afghanistan, and detailing how funds are kept from Taliban access.