Alex Christoforou |
It has been reported that as one of his last acts as President, Obama quietly sent $221 million to the Palestinian Authority hours before leaving office.
Following his UN “no-vote” a few weeks back, officials say the Obama administration, hours before exiting office, defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority.
Read more: Will state of Palestine be Obama’s legacy?
GOP members of Congress had been holding up the money. A State Department official and several congressional aides say the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning, just before Donald Trump became president.
More than $227 million in foreign affairs funding was released at the time, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for U.N. organizations.At least two GOP lawmakers had placed holds on the Palestinian funds.
Congressional holds are generally respected by the executive branch but are not legally binding.The official and the aides weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.
Alex Christoforou is the writer and director for The Duran. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy. This piece was first published in The Duran. It has been reprinted with permission