Democrats Make Last-Ditch Effort To Restart Funding For UN Agency That Employed Terrorists

Fifty-six House Democrats quietly introduced legislation Thursday to repeal a congressional ban on funding to a United Nations (UN) agency accused of links to Hamas.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025 would restore U.S. contributions to the UN entity that Israel accused of employing terrorists who participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7th attacks, which left more than 1,200 people dead. The bill’s primary sponsors are Democratic Reps. André Carson of Indiana, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.

House Democrats including Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Presley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Minnesota and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania are co-sponsoring the bill. Lee notably refused to answer whether she supported the Palestinian-led anti-Hamas protests in Gaza when asked by a DCNF reporter Wednesday.

The United States has not contributed to UNRWA since the Biden administration froze funding to the agency in January 2024 following Israel’s accusation that at least 12 agency employees participated in Hamas’ attack. UNRWA fired nine employees in August 2024 after finding they participated in the October 7th attacks.

Congress prohibited new contributions to UNRWA until March 25, 2025 by including language barring funding to the agency in the FY24 Appropriations Act, which passed in March 2024 and was signed into law by former President Joe Biden.