House Advances Bill Targeting Foreign Aid to the Taliban
The Republican-led House of Representatives has approved new legislation designed to prevent U.S. tax dollars — directly or indirectly — from strengthening the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The measure, titled the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act (H.R. 260), formally establishes that it is the policy of the United States to “oppose the provision of foreign assistance by foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations to the Taliban, particularly those countries and organizations that receive United States-provided foreign assistance.”
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), made the case plainly on the House floor, citing concerns raised by Afghans resisting Taliban control.
“According to them, nearly all of the cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban,” Burchett stated. “Mr. Speaker, they will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars.”
The legislation requires the Secretary of State to develop, within 180 days, a comprehensive strategy to discourage foreign governments and NGOs from funding the Taliban. It also calls for plans to better support Afghan women and former U.S. military allies, along with periodic reporting to Congress on how aid is flowing into Afghanistan.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) acknowledged bipartisan backing for the bill but criticized the Trump administration for what he characterized as insufficient transparency regarding Afghanistan policy.
“There is not a consensus about what the Trump administration is doing on Afghanistan, because they won’t tell us,” Jackson stated. “We urgently need more information and assurances from the Trump administration about their priorities in Afghanistan and now Iran.”
The legislation passed by voice vote without objection and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
House Blocks Future Energy Moratoriums, Delivering Win for President Trump
In a separate but equally significant development, House lawmakers recently approved legislation aimed at preventing future administrations from unilaterally halting domestic oil and gas production.
The Protecting American Energy Production Act cleared the chamber by a 226–188 vote. The bill bars any president from “declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium.”
All House Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 118 Democrats opposed it.
The legislation comes in direct response to actions taken by former President Joe Biden, who, shortly before leaving office, prohibited new oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of coastal and offshore territory and implemented sweeping energy-related restrictions.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), who introduced the bill, said it was necessary to safeguard America’s energy independence after years of regulatory overreach.
“When President Biden took office, his administration took a ‘whole of government’ approach to wage war on American energy production, pandering to woke environmental extremists and crippling this thriving industry,” Pfluger said in a statement following the bill’s passage.
“My legislation that passed today is a necessary first step in reversing Biden’s war on energy by preventing the federal government from banning the use of hydraulic fracturing,” he said.
President Donald J. Trump — currently serving his second term as President of the United States — campaigned heavily on restoring American energy dominance under his now-familiar “drill, baby, drill” approach. Should he sign the bill into law, future administrations would no longer be able to block fracking without congressional approval.
Further signaling a shift in federal policy, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum recently initiated internal reviews of agency actions that “burden” domestic energy development, moving to eliminate what the administration describes as coercive climate mandates and restrictive oil lease policies enacted under Biden.
Democratic Frustration Mounts
As Republicans push forward on national security and energy priorities, new polling suggests internal dissatisfaction among Democratic voters.
A Quinnipiac University survey found that 53% of Democratic respondents disapprove of how congressional Democrats are performing, while just 41% expressed approval — a notable warning sign for party leadership heading into future legislative battles.
With the House asserting oversight over foreign aid to hostile regimes and strengthening domestic energy production, Republicans are positioning themselves around national security, economic strength, and constitutional checks on executive power — issues likely to dominate the months ahead.