A member of the U.S. Senate want to fund an agency that has literally, in the past, employed terrorists. 

The U.S. Senator, according to the Daily Caller, is U.S. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT).

He just introduced a bill, in the upper chamber, that would restore congressional funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

This is the same agency, according to the outlet, "that employed terrorists who participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel."

Background

UNRWA has already been defunded by several countries - including the United States - following claims that it employed individuals who participated in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

For the United States, it was actually the administration of former President Joe Biden that terminated the funding for UNRWA.

The Tampa Free Press reports:

The United States has not contributed to UNRWA since the Biden administration paused funding to the agency in January 2024 following Israel’s accusation that at least 12 agency employees participated in Hamas’ attack.

President Donald Trump has taken things a step further. He has "signed an executive order barring funding for UNRWA on Feb. 3." Not only that, but the Trump administration has vowed to further crack down on UNRWA, which it has referred to as a "“pro-Hamas terrorist front group.”

UNRWA has been trying to take steps to fix the problem in order to get its funding restored. The Tampa Free Press goes on to write:

UNRWA fired nine employees in August 2024 after finding they participated in the October 7th attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said UNRWA staff with ties to Hamas “must be held accountable.”

Time to restore funding?

Welch now believes that UNRWA has done enough to have its funding restored, which is why he has introduced a bill that would do just that.

The Daily Caller reports:

Welch’s bill would restore U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), citing the agency’s role as the largest aid provider in Gaza.

It appears, however, that Welch's bill is unlikely to be successful.

The outlet goes on to write:

Welch’s bill faces steep hurdles to becoming law given widespread opposition from President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans and some Democratic lawmakers to funding UNWRA over the agency’s ties to Hamas.

Currently, there is a bill in place that prohibits new contributions to be made to UNRWA by the U.S. government until March 25, 2025.