CONGRESSMAN VOTES TO RESTRICT ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

Rep. Paul Cook of Yucca Valley voted Tuesday for HR 1164, the Taylor Force Act. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives unanimously, would restrict U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it stops subsidizing terrorists through “pay to slay” policies. This legislation is in response to the Palestinian practice of rewarding terrorists with payments for committing violent acts of terror. The measure is named for U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force, who was brutally murdered by a Palestinian terrorist during an educational tour in Israel in March of 2016. Specifically, the bill would withhold nearly all economic aid to the West Bank and Gaza that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority, but it will not affect humanitarian aid to the region.