Cassidy, Risch, colleagues introduce NOPE Act to cut off US funding to UN if Palestinian authority receives more privileges

Published 3:20 pm Monday, May 13, 2024

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D., R-La., Jim Risch, R-Ind., and 23 colleagues introduced the No Official Palestine Entry (NOPE) Act, legislation to update existing funding prohibitions in law that would cause the United States to cut off assistance to entities that give additional rights and privileges to the Palestinian Authority.

“We cannot allow the United Nations to unilaterally change the status of the Palestinian Authority. This is such a strong conviction that the U.S. will withhold funding from the UN should they proceed to do so,” Cassidy said.

“The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are deeply flawed, plagued by corruption, and incite terrorism through the egregious ‘pay for slay’ program. Giving the PLO a voice at the United Nations is preposterous and fails to account for the PLO’s role in inspiring generations of Palestinians to support acts of terror,” Risch said. “This legislation will ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to give the PLO credibility.”

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Cassidy and Risch are joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Todd Young (R-IN), Mitt Romney (R-UT), John Hoeven (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and John Thune (R-SD) in cosponsoring the NOPE Act.