House Passes It 285 - 98 - Devastated Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Can't Believe It
Washington D.C. — In a strong display of America First leadership, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives just passed the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act (H.R. 260), a bill designed to stop international governments and NGOs from funneling money to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, the bill’s sponsor, made the case crystal clear on the House floor. He revealed that Afghans who oppose Taliban rule have told him that nearly all cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban. Burchett declared:
“Mr. Speaker, they will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars.”
The legislation directs the Secretary of State to develop a strategy within 180 days to deter foreign governments and organizations from assisting the Taliban — especially those that receive U.S. foreign aid. It also requires reports to Congress on aid flowing to Afghanistan and emphasizes supporting Afghan women and former U.S. military partners.
The bill passed by voice vote with no objections, showing strong bipartisan agreement on the core principle: American taxpayer dollars should never fund terrorists.
This is exactly the kind of decisive, common-sense action President Donald J. Trump has demanded. For years, the radical left allowed billions in aid to flow into Afghanistan with little oversight, much of it ending up strengthening the Taliban. President Trump is putting an end to that madness. No more American money supporting regimes that hate us, oppress women, and threaten global security.
While one Democrat, Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), acknowledged the bill’s bipartisan support, he still tried to criticize the Trump administration for lack of clarity on Afghanistan. But the American people know the truth: under President Trump, America is projecting strength, securing our interests, and refusing to waste taxpayer dollars on failed nation-building or indirect support for terrorists.
This victory in the House comes as Republicans continue to deliver on their promises. Just days ago, the House also passed a major bipartisan housing bill — the Housing for the 21st Century Act — to increase the supply of affordable homes by cutting red tape, streamlining NEPA reviews, encouraging denser development, and boosting manufactured housing.
These two bills show the clear difference between the parties. Republicans are focused on stopping funding for terrorists, protecting taxpayers, securing our nation, and solving real problems like the housing shortage. Radical Democrats, on the other hand, continue to push policies that weaken America, reward failure, and prioritize foreign interests over our own citizens.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leadership deserve credit for moving these important measures forward. The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act now heads to the Senate, where it should receive swift approval. The American people are tired of seeing their hard-earned money funneled to regimes that celebrate attacks on U.S. interests.
Under President Trump’s leadership, America is rejecting the failed policies of the past. No more blank checks to terrorists. No more open borders. No more sacrificing American strength for globalist fantasies. The Republican Party is delivering the strong, principled governance voters demanded in 2024.
The radical left is reeling. Their attempts to tie President Trump’s hands on national security and foreign policy are failing. The American people see the results: a stronger, safer, more prosperous nation that puts America First.
More victories like this are coming. The America First agenda is winning, and the radical Democrat Party continues its long decline.
Trump ‘Briefed With Options’ Amid Stalled Iran Talks
The Trump administration on Wednesday continued to express optimism about negotiations with Iran, even as Iranian officials insist that no direct talks have taken place, according to reports.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said no face-to-face meeting had occurred in Doha and that no direct negotiations with the United States were currently planned.
Despite Tehran’s position, President Donald Trump described the discussions as “very good,” apparently referring to indirect contacts involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicating through third-party intermediaries.
Vice President JD Vance struck a firmer tone the same day, warning that the United States could escalate its response if Iran refuses to cooperate or takes actions that further destabilize the Middle East.
His remarks underscored the administration’s message that while it remains open to a diplomatic resolution, additional measures remain on the table if negotiations fail.
“If Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, threaten its neighbors and support terrorism, President Trump has options to deal with it,” Vance noted, without elaborating.
Earlier, a Wall Street Journal report claimed that Trump had been briefed on several military options, including “all-out war,” but Trump said he wanted to give diplomacy more time.
Vance additionally stated that the US “dropped bombs on Iran because it fired on ships, and we used leverage to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
He went on to suggest that the U.S. could take that course of action again.
Vance also said the current talks are “to discuss the details and flow of maritime traffic.”
The vice president, addressing U.S. military personnel at a naval base in Virginia on Wednesday, also said that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back decades.
“If you look at what our own intelligence says about their nuclear program, they are further away from developing a nuclear bomb than they have ever been since basically the last 20 or 30 years,” Vance said, though he stopped short of Trump’s claim that the program had been “totally obliterated.”
“What the president asks you to accomplish is to destroy the defense industrial base of that country, so that if they ever decided to rebuild their military, or if they ever decided to rebuild that nuclear program, they would be harmless to do it. You did that exactly as well,” Vance added, per the Times of Israel.
The VP went on to say that Trump is now “negotiating from a position of strength because of you.”
“If the Iranians try to rebuild the nuclear program, the President’s got options. If the Iranians try to threaten their neighbors or fund terrorism, we’ve got options,” Vance continued.
“But what we must never do is drop bombs just for the sake of dropping bombs. And that is what the president will never ask you to do,” Vance added.
“He’ll ask you to go to war, yes. But when he asks you to go to war, he’ll tell you exactly what you’re going for,” the veep noted further.
“And I think that is what you should expect out of your political leadership.”
“What I noticed about the people who are attacking the administration for negotiating is that they are the very same people who, for example, encouraged us to just go a little bit further and just drop a few more bombs in places like Afghanistan,” he said.
“If you go back to the mistakes that were made, those very same people refused to say what we were dropping bombs for,” he added.
“We dropped some bombs a couple of days ago… Because the Iranians were shooting at commercial ships… We applied some leverage, and we’ve had free commercial transit for the last three days,” Vance told the naval personnel.
UPDATE: House Passes Key Bill In Nod To Trump Admin
Washington — In a closely watched vote, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the SPEED Act, legislation aimed at accelerating federal permitting for large-scale artificial intelligence data centers and supporting power projects.
The bill passed Friday by a narrow 218-to-213 margin, highlighting sharp partisan divides even as lawmakers on both sides recognize AI’s critical role in national security and economic competitiveness.
The SPEED Act targets reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. It would shorten environmental reviews that have stalled major construction projects for years and cut the statute of limitations for related lawsuits from six years down to just 150 days.
Supporters argue these changes are essential to meet exploding demand for data centers and reliable energy as AI technologies advance rapidly.
Republican lead sponsor Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas called the measure a national imperative: “The expansion of AI computing power for both civilian and military use is a national imperative.” He stressed the need for the U.S. to maintain its technological edge, especially against China.
The legislation drew public support from major tech players including OpenAI, Micron, and Microsoft.
Passage came after last-minute drama. Some conservative Republicans pushed for amendments protecting prior executive actions on offshore wind and other green energy limits. Democrats largely opposed the final version, with Rep. Scott Peters of California warning it codifies a “broken permitting status quo.” He said a more bipartisan approach may need to come from the Senate.
The House action pairs with a new Trump administration initiative: the U.S. Tech Force. This two-year program will recruit about 1,000 engineers and technical experts to modernize federal AI systems in partnership with companies like Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir.
Together, the SPEED Act and Tech Force aim to address two major bottlenecks for American AI leadership: regulatory delays and specialized talent shortages. The bill now heads to the Senate, where further negotiations are expected.
This development intensifies the national debate over balancing rapid AI growth with environmental safeguards and partisan priorities in the race for global technological supremacy.
(Word count: ~280 — suitable for a 1:45 to 2:00 broadcast segment)
Would you like a shorter/longer version, adjustments for a specific page (e.g., GTNews style), or accompanying graphics/thumbnail suggestions?
