Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act: Its Supporters and Opponents

Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed legislation on Tuesday to impose broad restrictions on U.S. aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, defying President George W. Bush in the midst of high-profile Mideast talks.

The House voted 361-37 for the bill that backers said was needed to keep any U.S. funds from supporting Hamas, a militant group pledged to the destruction of Israel and deemed a terrorist organization by Washington.

The vote came during Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's first trip to Washington, where a topic was expected to be how to ease the Palestinians' humanitarian crisis while isolating the Hamas Islamists controlling the Palestinian government.

The Bush administration contends this bill would tie its hands in that effort. The administration has cut off direct aid to the Hamas-led government, but the bill would put into law more sweeping bans.

The House bill would cut off direct and indirect U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority, other than aid to meet "the basic human health needs" of the Palestinian people and for measures Congress approves on a case by case basis. It would limit aid through nongovernmental organizations and restrict diplomatic contacts with representatives of Hamas.

The bill calls for the Palestinian Authority to be designated a "terrorist sanctuary," and bans visas for entry into the United States of any official or member of the PA or any component of the PA. It also recommends withholding U.S. contributions to the United Nations proportional to the amount the world body provides the PA.[link]

Here is the vote:

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 181 (Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)

      H R 4681      2/3 YEA-AND-NAY      23-May-2006      11:57 AM
      QUESTION:  On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
      BILL TITLE: Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act

	Yeas	Nays	PRES	NV
Republican	210	6		14
Democratic	150	31	9	11
Independent	1
TOTALS	361	37	9	25

---- NAYS    37 ---

Abercrombie Becerra Blumenauer Capps Capuano Conyers DeFazio Dingell Doggett Eshoo Farr Gilchrest Grijalva

Hinchey Jones (NC) Kaptur Kilpatrick (MI) Kolbe Kucinich LaHood Lee Marshall McCollum (MN) McDermott McGovern McKinney

Miller, George Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Obey Paul Price (NC) Rahall Stark Thornberry Velázquez Watt

---- ANSWERED “PRESENT”    9 ---

Carson Clay Davis (IL)

Gutierrez Jackson (IL) Johnson, E. B.

Payne Rush Watson

---- NOT VOTING    25 ---

Brown, Corrine Camp (MI) Davis (FL) Doolittle Evans Ford Gibbons Higgins Hunter

Issa Istook Jenkins Kennedy (RI) Larson (CT) Lewis (GA) McCrery Napolitano Peterson (PA)

Pickering Poe Pombo Rehberg Ruppersberger Snyder Wicker

Rep. Michael Capuano voted AGAINST the bill.

posted by: jrtelegraph