Rep. Tim Burchett Urges Congress to Pass ‘No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act’ and End Government Payments to Taliban

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) on Tuesday urged the U.S. Congress to pass HR 260, the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, which the Tennessee Republican said would strip tax dollars currently being funneled to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Burchett said the legislation is the product of two years of efforts to magnify the issue, which he said was accomplished with the help of podcaster and veteran Shawn Ryan, who first discussed the payments to the Taliban with Burchett during a 2023 interview.

In a statement released by Burchett’s office, Ryan called it “unacceptable that our tax dollars” are supporting terrorists.

“Evidence shows millions of dollars have already reached these groups, but Representative Burchett’s fighting to stop it.” said Ryan. “I urge Congress to back him and get this to President Trump’s desk.”

Burchett similarly stated, “It’s sickening, to be honest, and American taxpayers want this stamped out. This legislation has been sat on long enough. We need to move this through both chambers and get it to President Trump’s desk.”

The legislation follows a 2023 attempt by Burchett to pass similar legislation, the No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act of 2023, which would have required the U.S. Secretary of State to create a “strategy to discourage foreign countries from providing aid to the Taliban and to determine whether countries that do so should still receive U.S. assistance.”

It would also have demanded reports for Congress to understand how the government prevents the U.S. Direct Cash Assistance Program from being accessed by the Taliban, and how Afghanistan’s central bank maintains its independence from the Islamist government.

That legislation was passed by the House last June, but Burchett’s office noted that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) never brought the matter to a vote in the U.S. Senate when his party held the majority.

According to Burchett’s office, his 2025 legislation would also force the State Department to create a new policy prohibiting aid to the Taliban. Its sponsors in the Senate include Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Rep Tim Burchett” by The Shawn Ryan Show.