US State Department settles suit, commits to enforcing Taylor Force Act
The U.S. State Department reached a settlement on Tuesday, committing to the enforcement of the Taylor Force Act, an anti-terrorism law barring U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority as long as it continues to subsidize…
Assessment
A federal lawsuit has forced the State Department to formally agree to implement a law it was already supposed to be following. The Taylor Force Act, passed years ago, bars aid to the Palestinian Authority as long as it pays stipends to convicted terrorists and their families. The settlement suggests the executive branch had been ignoring or weakly enforcing that restriction. The next question is whether the commitment will actually change behavior, or if further litigation will be needed to keep the department in compliance.