Newly confirmed Secretary of State John Kerry has put $700 Million of American U.S. taxpayer monies to the Palestinian Authority (PA) first on his agenda. The funds for fiscal year 2012, which ended in September 2012 and routine funding for fiscal year 2013, has been on hold due to the PA’s UN recognition AND an Act of Congress. The Palestinian Accountability Act denied allocating any funds to any any U.S. government department or agency. Obama “waived” that Act in April 2012. Here’s the history in two pieces below:
UPDATE: This article was published on Feburary 12th, 2013. What I did not know at the time was that Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum on February 8, 2013, directing a waiver of the restrictions in the Congressional Palestinian Accountability Act (linked below), which he has already waived once in April 2012. Have the $700 Million found it’s way to the Palestinian Authority, or is it in the pipeline. I don’t know but will update when more info is available. Thanks to L.D. Jackson at Political Realities for the Presidential Memorandum tip.
John Kerry
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) will call on lawmakers to cut the $600 million in annual funding for the Palestinian Authority as well as any funding for U.N. agencies that recognize it.
“It’s crystal clear that Abu Mazen and his cronies are not partners for peace and do not value their relationship with the U.S.,” Ros-Lehtinen says in a prepared statement. “The U.S must stand with our ally Israel and offer no U.S. taxpayer dollars and no political support for the PLO. As other UN bodies will no doubt use General Assembly resolution as an excuse to grant membership to a non-existent Palestinian state, U.S. law is clear: UN agencies that grant membership to a Palestinian state lose their U.S. funding.”
Ros-Lehtinen vocally opposed the Obama administration’s effort to restore $80 million in annual U.S. funding for the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO, after it admitted Palestine last year.
“If the Administration again seeks to gut U.S. law and keep funding those reckless UN agencies,” she said in Thursday’s prepared remarks, “Congress’ response must be simple: No.” Source: The Hill Nov 2012
In April 2012 Obama went around Congress’ Palestinian Accountability Act denying funds to any U.S. Government department or agency to fund the Palestinian Authority in any way. Obama “waived” it, and Clinton informed Congress just how worthless and unaccountable they were. In other words, they were told $192 million would be sent to the PA, despite their ‘Act.’
The department [State] was working with Congress “to get appropriated money released for the Palestinian Authority because we think it’s very, very important that they remaineffective in supporting the needs of the Palestinian people.” Source: Arutz Sheva
As sequester looms bringing massive cuts to our military in these dangerous times, and Leon Panetta recommends the annual increase in Military personnel salary be cut, Kerry is fighting for Palestine terrorists. Congratulations to Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma – the only three Republicans to try to keep Kerry out of the State Department.
Linked at Badblue – the baddest news on the planet!