Title: A resolution expressing the sense of Congress regarding restoring United States bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution calls on the United States to expend all assistance appropriated in FY2018 to the West Bank and Gaza before the end of 2019. The resolution also presses for the enactment of legislation to specify that activities funded through the Economic Support Fund may not be construed to assert jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 171 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 171

  Expressing the sense of Congress regarding restoring United States 
            bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 11, 2019

  Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. 
 Cortez Masto, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress regarding restoring United States 
            bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza.

Whereas the dire health and economic conditions facing the Palestinian people 
        has created a humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza. The United 
        States has long been a leader in helping address the plight of innocent 
        civilians;
Whereas these fragile conditions could contribute to circumstances that would 
        undermine Israel's security and stability in the region;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority's interpretation of the Anti-Terrorism 
        Clarification Act (Public Law 115-253), which sought to help United 
        States victims of terrorism abroad, led the Palestinian Authority to 
        reject all forms of United States assistance, meaning that funding for 
        organizations implementing humanitarian aid programs that provide 
        critical services, such as health care and sanitation to civilians, 
        cannot be carried out; and
Whereas the Department of State has failed to obligate any of the funds Congress 
        appropriated in fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018, $302,750,000 and 
        $257,500,000, respectively, for bilateral assistance to the West Bank 
        and Gaza: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the Executive branch should expend before the end of 
        fiscal year 2019 all bilateral assistance to the West Bank and 
        Gaza that Congress appropriated for such assistance in fiscal 
        year 2018, including--
                    (A) $196,500,000 for the Economic Support Fund;
                    (B) $60,000,000 for International Narcotics Control 
                and Law Enforcement; and
                    (C) $1,000,000 for Nonproliferation, Anti-
                Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs;
            (2) programs and activities funded by the Economic Support 
        Fund as described above are focused primarily on providing 
        food, essential health services, and other humanitarian goods 
        and services, and these expenditures must be consistent with 
        the restrictions and exceptions provided in the Taylor Force 
        Act (title X of division S of Public Law 115-141); and
            (3) legislation should be enacted to clarify that programs 
        and activities funded through the Economic Support Fund and 
        that are consistent with the Taylor Force Act (title X of 
        division S of Public Law 115-141) may not be used as a basis to 
        assert jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority pursuant to 
        the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act.
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