Washington, D.C. (December 6, 2017) The U.S. House of Representatives last night passed H.R. 1164, the Taylor Force Act, to withhold nearly all economic aid to the West Bank and Gaza that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority. Congressman Steve Pearce released the following statement as a cosponsor of the bill:

"We must hold Palestinian Authority (PA) accountable for their deliberate support of violence and terror in Israel and around the region. Just last year, PA spent over $300 million supporting terrorist activity. Through my time as Chairman of the Terrorism and Illicit Finance Subcommittee, I have become all too aware the impact money has on terrorist and criminal enterprise's ability to perpetuate violence. The United States in no way should be contributing or supporting these actions. As a nation, we must not reward those that support violence against Israel and the United States."

H.R. 1164 passed the night before President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and announced the State Department will begin a process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States," stated Rep Pearce. "As a nation, we must continue to do what we can to support our ally. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital reinforces the bond between our nations. A stable middle-east is a stable America, and we must continue to support our allies in the region to prevent further risks to global security."