The leaders of the Appropriations Committees in both the House and Senate have unveiled the text of six spending bills designed to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, which concludes on September 30. However, progressives have swiftly criticized the bills for proposing to cease aid to Palestinians during a time of humanitarian crisis.
Progressive Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed her dismay at the proposal, labeling the decision to halt direct funding to the organization as "unconscionable." In an interview with The Independent, she emphasized, "It’s also not sound, not grounded in sound facts. We have intelligence assessments that speak to this."
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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has been a crucial provider of essential resources such as food, water, and shelter in Gaza since the outbreak of conflict on October 7. The violence began when Hamas militants initiated an attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the abduction of 250 individuals. Subsequent retaliatory strikes by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza have led to the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.
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The proposed spending bill, set to be deliberated in Congress in the coming days, seeks to withhold U.S. funds from being allocated to UNRWA until March 2025, citing concerns over the agency's alleged involvement in the October 7th attack by Hamas militants. Israeli officials have accused some UNRWA staff in Gaza of participating in the assault, although no concrete evidence has been provided, according to the Associated Press.
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In response to these allegations, President Joe Biden initiated a temporary suspension of U.S. funding to UNRWA in January, pending the outcome of a United Nations investigation, which remains ongoing.
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While some countries initially announced plans to suspend funding in solidarity with the U.S., several, including Australia, Sweden, and Canada, have since reversed their decisions. The European Union recently pledged $54 million to UNRWA following an agreement with the agency to allow EU-appointed experts to conduct audits aimed at identifying potential extremist affiliations among staff members.
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Fellow progressive Ro Khanna echoed Ocasio-Cortez's concerns, emphasizing the detrimental impact of cutting aid to vulnerable individuals in Gaza. "It restricts funding for kids who are dying in Gaza. It’s unconscionable," he remarked to The Independent.
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Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois echoed these sentiments, expressing apprehension about the repercussions of limiting aid to UNRWA. "We should not be restricting, we should be restoring," she asserted. "The idea that people are literally starving to death and we are contributing to that is a problem."
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In addition to aiding those in Gaza, UNRWA also provides crucial support to millions of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia criticized the provision, highlighting UNRWA's vital role in providing assistance beyond Gaza. "Set aside Gaza for a second: UNRWA does really important work in Jordan and other countries where we don’t necessarily have others, so that in my view is a real weakness of the bill," Kaine stated.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a proponent of a ceasefire, defended UNRWA and condemned the provision, stating, "I'm very disappointed in a time when UNRWA is the primary system for delivering aid to starving people that funding would be turned off."
Conversely, Republican leaders have lauded the provision, with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson commending the decision and echoing Israel's accusations against UNRWA. "Importantly, it halts funding for the UN agency which employed terrorists who participated in the October 7 attacks against Israel," Johnson remarked in a statement.
Despite the support from some quarters, even pro-Israel Democrats have expressed reservations about cutting off funding to UNRWA. Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a staunch supporter of Israel, labeled the move as "a mistake type of prohibition," emphasizing the broader operations of UNRWA beyond Gaza.
The decision to halt funding to UNRWA forms part of a larger $1.2 trillion spending bill, crucial for averting a government shutdown just days before the deadline. The bill, known as the minibus spending bill, encompasses funding for various government departments and agencies, including the State Department, the Pentagon, and the Department of Homeland Security.
With Republican opposition to the spending bill and a narrow Republican majority, the legislation is likely to face a challenging path, potentially requiring a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Should progressives oppose the bill, its passage could be in jeopardy.
This move to suspend funding to UNRWA is not unprecedented, as in 2018, then-President Donald Trump terminated all funding to the agency, a decision later reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
President Biden has indicated his readiness to promptly sign the minibus spending bill into law should it pass congressional approval.
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