Cotton, Colleagues Reintroduce the Taylor Force Act

Press Release

Today, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) joined Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina), and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) in reintroducing the Taylor Force Act, which would cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority if they continue their policy of paying monetary rewards to terrorists and their surviving family members. Congressmen Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado) and Lee Zeldin (R-New York) reintroduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The Taylor Force Act was also cosponsored by Senators Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) and John Thune (R-South Dakota).

Taylor Force was a former U.S. Army officer who was part of a Vanderbilt University tour group visiting Israel when he was brutally stabbed and killed by a Palestinian terrorist. Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction praised the terrorist as a "heroic martyr" and the Palestinian Authority has yet to condemn the terrorist attack.

Graham, Blunt, Cotton, Lamborn and Zeldin were joined at a press conference today by Stuart and Robbi Force, Taylor's parents. They were also joined by members of OneFamily, an organization which brings together survivors who have lost family members to terrorist attacks, and provides support and services for these individuals:

You can watch Senator Cotton's remarks here. Additionally, a transcript of Senator Cotton's remarks is below:

"I want to thank Senator Graham for once again leading the effort on this legislation. Taylor Force was an outstanding young American with a distinguished record of service at the Military Academy and then overseas. He was what every parent hoped their son could be. We're going to make sure that the record he put together is remembered by Americans and is a positive force for change in the world. And that taxpayer dollars are no longer going to subsidize the murder of American citizens or Israeli citizens, and that the Palestinian people are no longer subsidized with American money in a leadership that encourages this kind of brutal murder, with graduated payments for the more and worse mayhem that these terrorists wreck. So the Force family has my commitment, has all of our commitments, that we're going to do everything in our power to make this bill into a law, to commemorate Taylor's memory, to ensure that his sacrifice is not forgotten and that it has a lasting positive legacy in the world."

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