Steube Introduces Legislation to Defund UNRWA and Divert Funds to Build Border Wall
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to permanently ban U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and divert any unspent funds appropriated for UNRWA to border wall construction along America’s southern border.
“UNRWA blatantly supports Hamas. Americans are outraged that our tax dollars fund this antisemitic group. UNRWA staff were directly implicated in the ruthless killing of Israeli civilians on October 7th, and reportedly procured weapons for Hamas and assisted with logistical operations. It’s also been reported that UNRWA graduated at least 100 Hamas terrorists from its schools, further proving they seek to indoctrinate the next generation and further spread anti-Israel propaganda. President Trump was right to cut off UNRWA’s funding. It is despicable that Biden decided to re-start this funding, which has funneled hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to a group that facilitates terrorist attacks on our allies,” said Rep. Steube. “My legislation will prevent a single American dollar from funding UNRWA and divert any unspent funding to America’s national security by continuing border wall construction. Our border is completely overrun, including by hundreds of terrorists. One thing is clear: walls work. Under Trump’s presidency, illegal crossings drastically decreased in areas where the wall was built.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Andy Ogles (R-Tenn), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), and Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.).
Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced companion legislation on January 31, 2024 in the U.S. Senate.
“Hamas uses UNRWA facilities as a shield to perpetuate vicious antisemitic attacks against Israel, and it uses UNRWA resources to indoctrinate the people it is supposed to be caring for. UNRWA employees actively participated in violently massacring Israel civilians last October. The U.S. can’t keep bankrolling a corrupt group that helps Hamas attack our greatest ally in the Middle East, and the Biden administration can’t keep turning a blind eye to its border crisis,” said Kennedy.
Trump’s administration built over 400 miles of the world’s most robust and advanced border wall, and under the Trump Administration, illegal crossings had plummeted over 87 percent where the wall has been constructed.
UNRWA is one of the largest United Nations (U.N.) programs. The U.S. currently contributes more to UNRWA than any other nation, giving the Hamas-front group $343 million in 2022 alone after President Joe Biden reversed former President Donald Trump’s 2018 stop on aid to the group.
According to reporting, “At least 12 employees of the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency had connections to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and around 10% of all of its Gaza staff have ties to Islamist militant groups.” In fact, reporting based on intelligence documents revealed that six UNRWA workers joined the Palestinian militants who “killed 1,200 people in the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust.” UNRWA workers did logistics work for the attack and procured weapons that terrorists used against civilians. Furthermore, UNRWA facilities have been exploited by Hamas for launching attacks on Israel, with weapons even found in UNRWA schools in 2015.
UNRWA is supposed to provide basic education, primary health care, micro-credit and emergency assistance to the residents of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza. Despite its mandate to provide basic services, UNRWA’s curriculum promotes “violence, martyrdom and jihad across all grades and subjects”. The links between UNRWA’s educational work and Hamas terrorism became starker with reporting that seven of the UNRWA workers connected to the Oct. 7 attacks taught primary or secondary school children. UNRWA has graduated at least 100 Hamas terrorists from its schools.
