WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today spoke before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a bill he introduced, the Taylor Force Act, to end the Palestinian Authority’s practice of providing monetary rewards to terrorists and their families who kill Americans and Israeli citizens.

Taylor Force was a West Point graduate and United States Army veteran who was visiting Israel as a part of a Vanderbilt University program. He was brutally stabbed and killed by a Palestinian terrorist. The Palestinian Authority praised Force’s killer as a ‘heroic martyr’. Just last week, President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas said he will not stop the practice of paying terrorists, even if he has to step down.

Graham was joined at today’s hearing by Taylor’s father and South Carolina resident, Stuart Force.

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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Corker on Graham’s leadership with the Taylor Force Act:

• CHAIRMAN CORKER: “I don’t know if anything could have been better said than what you just did. I think it lends tremendous momentum to this effort. We thank you for introducing the legislation that you introduced. Obviously having the relationship you have with Mr. Force and the family, and working with us – I thank you... I think we’re getting to a place where we can have an overwhelming bill to do exactly what it is you just said.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=5m58s

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• GRAHAM:  “[Taylor Force’s] death has to matter. It’s got to mean something. This committee and Congress has a chance to make sure it means something.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=2m11s

• GRAHAM: “[Taylor Force’s] father can probably tell you better than I can, but I think he represents everything good about our country… You’d be proud to call him your son.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=1m28s

• GRAHAM: “This law [the Taylor Force Act] which you understand very well, will stop American payments to the Palestinian Authority unless they stop paying their kids to kill other people.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=3m29s

• GRAHAM: “Here’s what [the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud] Abbas said last week: ‘Even if I will have to leave my position,’ he declared [last] week in response to U.S. and Israel pressure, ‘I will not compromise on the salary of a martyr or a prisoner.’ So that’s his position.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=3m48s

• GRAHAM: “I insist that they [Palestinian Authority] stop paying their young people to become terrorists and I don’t want our tax dollars used to support any government that would do that.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=4m27s

• GRAHAM: “It’s got to hurt for Stuart and Robbi [Taylor’s parents] to know that the taxes they pay go to a Palestinian Authority who rewards the killer of their son. There is no good explanation for this. And this committee has the opportunity to send a signal to Mr. Abbas and everyone else that this position of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, is inconsistent with a two-state solution, inconsistent with peace and we need to stop our emboldening of this practice.” https://youtu.be/VW_8PI4w9q8?t=4m43s

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