Ft Wayne Times

Today, Congressman Jim Baird introduced the No Official Palestine Entry (NOPE) Act, aiming to expand current funding prohibitions to include United Nations organizations that provide status, rights, or privileges to the Palestinian Authority (PA) or Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) beyond observer status. Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

"Last year, the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) voted to enhance the PA’s rights and privileges, despite the fact that the PA has not made any substantial reforms and continues to implement pay-for-slay," said Congressman Baird. "We have a responsibility to ensure Americans’ tax dollars are not funneled to entities like the PA as they continue to promote human rights violations and incite acts of terrorism. I thank Senator Risch for introducing this legislation in the U.S. Senate and for his leadership on this important issue."

Senator Risch commented on the situation at the United Nations: "Once created to be a bastion of peace and security in the world, the United Nations is now a seat of antisemitism and in desperate need of reform. Israel is one of America’s greatest allies and we cannot tolerate or fund any anti-Israel bias or favoritism for the Palestinian Liberation Organization at the UN." He emphasized that these bills are intended to support Israel.

Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition, added her perspective: "DOGE and the Trump Administration have already highlighted horrific ways in which U.S. tax dollars have been used to promote individuals, entities, or ideas that are at odds with American values and national security priorities. Closing glaring loopholes by banning funds from going to any UN agency that offers more than observer status to the PA is essential. The time for wasting the American taxpayer dollar and funding our adversaries is over."

Current U.S. law already prohibits funding for organizations such as those giving full membership or standing as a member state to PLO entities like these within UN agencies. The NOPE Act seeks an update by restricting any organization providing PA or PLO "any status, rights, or privileges beyond observer status."

Congressman Baird and Senator Risch were joined by several senators including Tom Cotton, Mike Lee, James Lankford among others along with representatives like Michael McCaul and Randy Weber in introducing this legislation.