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.
The agency has struggled with financial issues after the U.S. and other Western countries withdrew funding amid the allegations of Hamas ties. The United States has historically been UNRWA’s largest donor, funding roughly 30% of the agency’s budget — roughly $370 million — in 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Trump signed an executive order barring new funding for UNRWA on Feb. 3. The president also cut off congressional funding to UNRWA during his first term in August 2018.
“UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State (Secretary) as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel,” Trump wrote in the executive order.
Democratic Vermont Sen. Peter Welch introduced a Senate companion bill restoring UNRWA funding on March 7. Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are cosponsoring the bill.
Carson, Schakowsky and Jayapal previously introduced similar legislation to restore UNRWA funding in September 2024, citing humanitarian concerns in Gaza and commitments that UNRWA has made “toward complete accountability and reform” over its terror ties.
Spokespersons for Schakowsky and Jayapal did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. A Carson spokeswoman told the DCNF that the congressman would be issuing a press release at a later time on Friday regarding the bill.
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