Two US lawmakers, Representatives Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna, say Secretary of State Marco Rubio has agreed to ensure that “all funding to the Taliban is cut off.”
Which renewed the debate over how American tax dollars flow into Afghanistan and whether Washington’s assurances match realities on the ground.
The development comes a day after Burchett accused a former US Afghanistan envoy of stalling his bill aimed at blocking any financial channels that could reach the Taliban regime.
Lawmakers claim decisive action but assurances cover only NGOs
According to Burchett, Secretary Rubio has agreed to work to ensure “NGOs are cut off,” while Luna stated that NGOs “funneling American tax dollars to the Taliban are officially going to be cut off.”
Their statements follow growing political pressure in Washington after repeated claims that US-linked aid flows indirectly help stabilize the Taliban’s administrative machinery.
However, analysts note that the assurances being celebrated in Congress apply only to aid-linked NGO funding. Which is a relatively smaller portion of the overall financial landscape.
They do not apply to separate counterterrorism expenditures which have continued despite the US withdrawal in 2021.
Recent CT-related transfers reportedly included a single $100 million disbursement with similar payments increasing in recent months.
For this reason, the claim that “zero tax dollars” will reach the Taliban remains contested. Particularly as oversight bodies such as SIGAR have repeatedly warned of opacity in how funds move through Afghanistan’s financial ecosystem.
Pakistan again highlights the consequences of unmonitored flows
The renewed discussion has revived concerns Pakistan has raised for years.
The United States left behind $7.12 billion worth of military equipment, including aircraft, armored vehicles, rifles and advanced night-vision devices.
Investigations by the Washington Post, AP, CBS and regional outlets have documented that some of this equipment is now in the hands of militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
Pakistani security officials have repeatedly stated that TTP fighters use US-origin optics and night-vision gear in cross-border attacks.
UN monitoring teams and SIGAR findings confirm that TTP elements continue to operate openly inside Afghanistan despite Taliban assurances.
A need for verifiable counterterror commitments
Burchett’s earlier warning that “the next terrorist attack will be funded by the American taxpayer” has taken on renewed meaning as Congress debates what funding will actually be cut.
For Pakistan, the concern is straightforward. If groups like TTP, BLA, Al Qaeda and ISKP continue to function in Afghan territory, then any financial stream that indirectly stabilizes the Taliban risks strengthening the environment in which these groups thrive.
Read more: Tim Burchett’s Warning Rekindles Debate Over US Funds, Taliban Support and Pakistan’s Security
