In a powerful bipartisan stand against terrorism and the misuse of American taxpayer funds, the U.S House of Representatives on Monday passed sweeping legislation to permanently block all direct and indirect financial assistance to the Taliban a group widely condemned for terrorism, human rights atrocities, and harboring global jihadist networks. The bill, spearheaded by Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN), is designed to sever every possible route including third-party and backchannel aid that could allow U.S funds to flow into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The legislation comes amid mounting evidence that millions of dollars in U.S. aid were inadvertently funneled to the Taliban following the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
“For too long, American taxpayers have unknowingly funded a barbaric regime that subjugates women, executes dissidents, harbors terrorists, and dismantles every notion of human dignity,” said Rep. Burchett. “This bill ensures that not a single cent of American money will ever again prop up the Taliban’s reign of terror.”
The move was hailed by national security experts and human rights organizations who have long warned that U.S. humanitarian channels and foreign aid programs were being exploited by the Taliban to consolidate control and finance militant operations. Advocacy groups played a crucial role in pushing the bill forward, including commentator Shawn Ryan, who was publicly thanked by Rep. Burchett for his tireless efforts.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a key backer of the bill, emphasized its uncompromising scope. “We are shutting every door. No middlemen, no third countries, no deceptive NGOs nothing. The Taliban is a terrorist regime, and it will never again be bankrolled by American citizens.”
Estimates from recent congressional reports suggest that upwards of $10 million in U.S. funds may have ended up in Taliban hands since the U.S exit a revelation that has triggered widespread outrage across both parties. In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, women have been banned from education, public spaces, and most employment, while political executions, torture, and arbitrary detentions remain rampant.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it is expected to gain significant support. If signed into law, it will establish rigorous oversight and mandatory vetting for all aid programs operating in or around Taliban-held territory, ensuring no U.S. assistance is diverted to extremists.
“This isn’t just about money. It’s about morality. It’s about refusing to empower a regime that stones women, burns schools, and allies itself with global jihadists,” said Rep. Mast. “The Taliban doesn’t deserve aid it deserves isolation.”
The Taliban’s return to power has reversed two decades of hard-fought progress in Afghanistan. Under their rule, girls have been barred from secondary and higher education, journalists silenced, and minority groups targeted in what rights watchdogs describe as systematic persecution.
Lawmakers behind the bill say it is a necessary corrective to failed policies that allowed taxpayer money to be misappropriated. “We are drawing a red line,” said Rep. Burchett. “The United States will never again fund tyranny, oppression, or terror not under our watch.”
With this decisive legislation, Congress sends a resounding message to the world: The Taliban is not a government — it is a terrorist enterprise, and it will never receive legitimacy or financing from the American people.
