Congressman Meuser Introduces Bill to Halt Aid to Afghanistan Until American Hostages are Released
Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) introduced H.R. 9763 the No Funding Without Freedom Act, which would prohibit U.S. financial aid to Afghanistan until every wrongfully detained American citizen is released by the Taliban.
The bill is a direct response to the wrongful detainment of American citizens Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann. Corbett, who grew up in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 while working in Afghanistan, and Glezmann was detained in December 2022 during a five-day cultural trip. Both men have been held in deplorable conditions, with their health rapidly deteriorating.
The United States is the single largest humanitarian donor in Afghanistan. The U.S. has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since mid-August 2021.
Meuser said, "Last month marked three years since the Biden-Harris Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to seize control of the country. And despite the Taliban’s wrongful imprisonment of Americans like Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann, this administration has continued to provide billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the terror group. The United States is the largest humanitarian donor to Afghanistan, and my legislation would ensure that not one penny more will be sent until every American hostage is released. We must leverage all options, including withholding financial aid, to secure the release of Ryan and George."
Original cosponsors of the No Funding Without Freedom Act include: Bill Posey (FL-08), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), French Hill (AR-02), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Randy Weber (TX-14), and Greg Lopez (CO-04).
Text of the legislation can be found here.
Specifically, H.R. 9763 would:
- Prohibit funds from assisting Afghanistan unless the Secretary of State certifies that all unlawfully or wrongfully detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan have been released.
- Allow the President to waive the funding limitation if it is necessary to secure the release of unlawfully detained U.S. nationals, provided that Congress is informed with a detailed justification.
- Require that 30 days after the bill is enacted, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of State must report to Congress on the status of unlawfully detained U.S. nationals in Afghanistan and on efforts to secure their release.
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