U.S. Senate: No Dollar Should Reach the Taliban; Full Cut of U.S. Funding for Taliban.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a bill on Thursday, January 29, 2026, aiming to prevent the Taliban from accessing any American financial aid to Afghanistan.
Committee Chair Jim Risch stated that the implementation of the bill ensures “not a single dollar of U.S. taxpayers’ money will be transferred to terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, including the Taliban.”
Risch described the bill, titled “No Taxpayer Dollars to Terrorists,” as one of the most straightforward measures considered in recent years, clearly expressing its primary goal. He noted that over the years of U.S. conflict with the Taliban, more than 2,000 U.S. service members were killed and over 20,000 injured, and that transferring any money to the Taliban would be “a blatant insult” to veterans and their families.
Risch emphasized that after months of negotiations, the bill is now closer to final approval. Tim Burchett, a main supporter, stated that the bill will soon be presented for a full Senate vote, although Republican support will require backing from Democratic senators. Democrats previously opposed fully cutting aid to Afghanistan, and it remains unclear how much support the bill will receive in the final stage.
