Congressman Gerlach writes to US Secretary of State Kerry about PA salaries for imprisoned terrorists

The Honorable John F. Kerry Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C St, NW Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Kerry:

I write with regard to the issue of U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Recent news reports have indicated that the PA has provided monetary payments or salaries to individuals convicted of committing acts of terrorism, including those recently released as part of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. According to such reports, these salaries or stipends are provided by the PA to convicted terrorists for the duration of their imprisonment. If this information is accurate, how long has the U.S. government been aware of this PA program? Furthermore, what is the U.S. Department of State doing specifically to immediately halt any U.S. taxpayer dollars going to the PA until this program is stopped?

U.S. foreign aid, which is distributed through and administered by the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Agency for International Development, must not be used by the PA directly or indirectly to compensate convicted terrorists and/or their families.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your swift response.

With kind regards, I am