Sens. Scott, Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Sanction Palestinian Leadership and Institutions That Reward Terrorism

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act. This legislation would impose sanctions on foreign persons and entities that provide payments to terrorists and their families as part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority’s (PA) system of terror compensation.

Senators Scott and Cotton were joined by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) in cosponsoring the legislation.

Congressmen Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) plan to introduce the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“For years, the Palestinian Authority has incentivized brutal attacks against Israelis—and even American citizens—through its horrific ‘pay for slay’ policies. Strong words and failed negotiations aren’t enough to stop these acts of terror,” said Senator Scott. “We need to actually use the authorities at our disposal to impose real economic pain against those who support and facilitate so-called ‘martyr payments,’ and I am proud to partner with Senator Cotton and our Republican colleagues to do just that.”

“The PA continues to support terrorism against Israel by providing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in its reprehensible ‘pay-for-slay’ program. Anti-Semitic Palestinian terrorists know they can expect payment as a reward for killing Israelis and Americans—with thousands of Palestinian terrorists tied to October 7 eligible for these terror payments. Our bill will ensure that the PA, PLO and their institutions that reward acts of terrorism are punished,” said Senator Cotton.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

In 2018, Senator Scott partnered with a group of bipartisan colleagues to combat the pay-for-slay practice through passage of the Taylor Force Act. In the aftermath of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Senator Scott and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nev.) introduced the Stop Support for Hamas Act, which aims to strengthens provisions within the Taylor Force Act to prevent any U.S. funding from directly or indirectly benefiting the PA until it ends its pay for slay program.

The PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act would impose sanctions on:

• Foreign persons who serve as an employee of the PLO and PA that has facilitated the payments, provided payments themselves, or knowingly provided significant financial, technological, or material support and resources as part of the PLO and PA’s system of compensation supporting acts of terrorism.
• Entities that facilitate the PLO and PA system of compensation supporting acts of terrorism including the Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners, the Institute for the Care of the Families of the Martyrs and the Wounded, the Palestine National Fund, and National Association of the Families of the Martyrs of Palestine.
• Foreign financial institutions that participate in a financial transaction that is part of the PLO and PA’s system of compensation supporting acts of terrorism.