WASHINGTON: American media outlet Lindell TV recently published an interview indicating that the “American Taxpayers’ Money Anti-Terrorism Act” has been stalled in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for over seven months and has yet to be presented for a vote. According to the interview, the bill is designed to ensure that taxpayer money does not reach armed groups, particularly the Taliban, directly or indirectly. The report claims that approximately $40 million weekly is currently flowing into a Taliban-controlled system via Afghanistan. The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, is reportedly the only person who can advance this bill from the committee’s agenda to a floor debate and vote. The report notes that he is aware of the sensitivity of the issue but has not yet taken practical steps to move the bill forward. Moreover, the delay in this legislation has raised significant concerns regarding the transparency of U.S. aid and its outcomes, particularly concerning aid sent to Afghanistan in the name of humanitarian support. While some U.S. officials have stressed that humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan is organized through international agencies to support ordinary people, critics argue that due to weak oversight and accountability mechanisms, some of this funding ends up in Taliban hands. As of now, there has been no official clarification from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee or its chair regarding the delay of this legislation.
