Defund terrorism: Pass the Taylor Force Act

Earlier this month, the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee overwhelmingly approved the Taylor Force Act, which would cut off U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority as punishment for its support of terrorism. Introduced by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, the measure went through by a vote of 17 to 4.

The senators voting against it were New Jersey's Cory Booker, Connecticut's Chris Murphy, New Mexico's Tom Udall, and Oregon's Jeff Merkley. Justifying his vote, Booker cited regional security implications and other factors, while Udall said that in the "West Bank there are very serious problems there: poverty, lots of checkpoints, and hopelessness so you kind of have the conditions for terrorism on the ground." Merkley and Murphy have yet to offer specific reasons for their opposition.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently became a co-sponsor of the proposed legislation, all but securing enough Democratic votes to fend off a possible filibuster.

If passed on the full Senate floor and signed into law by President Trump, the legislation would cut off the $400 million the U.S. gives to the P.A. annually, exempting certain humanitarian funding. For example, money would still go to the Israeli-run East Jerusalem Hospital Network, where the P.A. sends Palestinian patients seeking treatment unavailable in the West Bank.

The cutoff is in response to its so-called "pay-to-slay" initiative, which awards cash to terrorists and their families.