EXCLUSIVE — Members of Congress are raising concerns over how the Biden administration released aid to Iran and Gaza before the terror group Hamas launched a deadly attack against the Jewish state of Israel.
The $6 billion the U.S. government agreed to transfer on Sept. 11 to Iran in exchange for American prisoners and hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid under President Joe Biden are being scrutinized by congressional Republicans days after the Israel-Gaza conflict began. At least 900 people in Israel have been killed, while the death poll is expected to climb, and Hamas warned Monday it plans to broadcast executions of Israeli hostages if Gaza continues to be hit with airstrikes.
ANTONY BLINKEN SAYS US AND ISRAEL WILL REVIEW INTERNAL FAILURE, GOAL REMAINS TO REPEL HAMAS
"The Biden administration must immediately rescind the $6 billion cash giveaway to Iran and halt aid to the Palestinian Authority, which it resumed despite pay-to-slay policies by the Palestinian Authority," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Examiner. "Contrary to the disgraceful claims made by some of my colleagues, there is no moral equivalency between Israel defending its right to exist and terrorists going door-to-door murdering civilian men, women, children, and the elderly."
"We must stand unequivocally with our greatest ally, Israel, and give them whatever is necessary to ensure the protection of their homeland and their people," Lawler said. "We must also do everything in our power to ensure the safe return of American citizens who are being held hostage by Hamas."
On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was pressed over the $6 billion, telling NBC News, "Iran has unfortunately always used and focused its funds on supporting terrorism, on supporting groups like Hamas, and it's done that when there have been sanctions. It's done that when there haven't been sanctions." While the State Department has said the money is unspent and can only be used for humanitarian purposes, critics argue money is fungible and that the $6 billion could allow Iran to free up other funding to support terror.
Iran funds Hamas, and leaders from both Hamas and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that Iran helped directly plan the Saturday attack against Israel since August. U.S. and Israeli officials are still reviewing information to understand whether Iran was definitively involved, with Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Nir Dinar remarking Monday, "We are 100% sure that the Iranians were not surprised."
"The Biden administration abused its power to enrich Iran with billions it did not deserve and embolden its campaign of terror," Rep. Darrell Issa (D-CA), who also sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Examiner. "That’s why one can draw a straight line from the White House’s policy of appeasement and the war on Israel it helped launch."
Issa added, "The Biden foreign policy smart set has a lot to answer for — now, they must be held to account."
Congressional concern over the Iran aid also comes as Republicans investigate the extent of Iran's influence in the U.S., telling Biden in late September that Iran has access to "restricted U.S. State Department emails or government servers," a letter shows. An explosive report in Semafor based on Iranian government documents recently detailed an "Iran Experts Initiative" to push propaganda that apparently includes Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai and "influential overseas academics" reporting to Iran's Foreign Ministry. Members allegedly in the network were aides to U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley, who had his security clearance suspended in late June over possibly mishandling classified materials.
While lawmakers are demanding answers, the House chamber remains chaotic and without powers following the historic speaker ouster last week of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The California Republican said Monday in a press conference that "Biden’s policy on appeasement, including money for hostage deals, must come to an end," citing the $6 billion. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) are seeking the speakership and racking up endorsements before a Wednesday vote.
Meanwhile, members of Congress are also eyeing how the Biden administration has delivered large sums in Palestinian aid, despite the Trump administration cutting such funding. Internal documents obtained by the watchdog Protect the Public's Trust show that in 2021, the State Department privately expressed concerns over delivering funds to the Palestinian Authority, which controls Gaza territories and gives money to terrorists and their families, over the "high risk" of Hamas deriving "indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza."
Still, the Biden administration restarted aid to Gaza, including $235 million in 2021, purportedly for economic and development assistance. However, in a 2022 nonpublic report to Congress, the State Department said the Palestinian government has "continued payments to Palestinian prisoners who had committed acts of terrorism, as well as the families of so-called ‘martyrs’ who died while committing acts of terrorism," the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Hamas controls the Gaza Strip, and there have been no elections there since 2006. On Monday, the European Union said it was "immediately" suspending Palestinian aid, though it backtracked to say it was rather reviewing the assistance. The EU program totals $730 million.
"The administration should not be enabling Hamas's deadly antisemitism that has manifested in the kidnapping, raping, and killing of so many innocent Israelis, including numerous U.S. citizens," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and leads its Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, told the Washington Examiner.
A source close to the Foreign Affairs panel, who is not authorized to speak publicly, said its inquiry into foreign funding from Biden "should move faster now," adding the committee has "been slow to lock in" and should "make up for lost time."
The director of the group that obtained the 2021 State Department communications said they highlight why "trust in government has been frittered away."
"In times of uncertainty, danger, and peril, people need to be able to trust in their government," Michael Chamberlain told the Washington Examiner.
Anne Herzberg, legal adviser to the Israel-based watchdog NGO Monitor, said it's "deeply troubling" that Biden restarted Palestinian aid.
"There needs to be some massive State Department audit of its funding policies and reassessment of U.S. aid," she told the Washington Examiner. "Their oversight is severely lacking. Then, we see the consequences."
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The State Department did not return a request for comment. The White House referred the Washington Examiner to its National Security Council, which also did not reply.
Israel said Monday that 2,150 were wounded in the country. Nine U.S. citizens have been killed in Israel, according to the State Department.