Baird Introduces NOPE Act

Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) introduced the No Official Palestine Entry (NOPE) Act to expand existing funding prohibitions to include organizations in the United Nations (UN) that afford status, rights, or privileges to the Palestinian Authority (PA) or Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) beyond observer status. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the 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,” Baird said. “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.”

“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,” said Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition.“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 prohibits U.S. funding to organizations, such as the UN, which give the PLO full membership or standing as a member state. The NOPE Act updates the existing funding prohibition to organizations that offer the Palestinian Authority or the Palestine Liberation Organization “any status, rights, or privileges beyond observer status.”

Baird and Risch were joined by Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Lee (R-UT), James Lankford (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND, John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Tim Scott (R-SC) as well as Representatives Michael McCaul (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Rudy Yakym (R-IN), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) in introducing this legislation.