Rep. Knollenberg Introduces CARTER: Legislation to Prohibit Federal Funding of the Carter Center

In response to former President Carter's meeting with Hamas leader Naser al-Shaer leader in the West Bank yesterday, and his planned meeting with Khaled Meshal on Friday, Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) has introduced legislation to deny the Carter Center in Atlanta any additional federal funding. Meeting with a leader of an outfit declared by the State Department as a terrorist organization is surely reason enough for cutting off federal aid, which has totaled some $19 million since 2001. American taxpayers have no obligation to support apostles of hate and intolerance.

Its name: the Coordinated American Response to Extreme Radicals Act (CARTER Act).

Knollenberg's legislation deserves the support of all Americans who are appalled by Carter's decades-long fondness for dictators, totalitarian regimes, and other enemies of the United States.

This isn't the first time the Carter Center has come under fire because of the anti-Israeli stance of its founder. In December, 2006, Emory University Middle East scholar Kenneth Stein resigned both as Middle East scholar at the Center and from its advisory board in response to the publication of Carter's book, Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. In mid-January of last year, 14 advisory board members resigned from the Center to protest Carter's extraordinarily biased and error-ridden book.

The text of Rep. Knollenberg's letter to Carter protesting Carter's planned meeting Friday with Khaled Meshal is here.

Here is the text of Rep. Knollenberg's press release:

Congressman Joe Knollenberg (MI-09) today introduced legislation that would prevent the federal government from giving taxpayer money to the Carter Center, headed by former President Jimmy Carter.

“America must speak with one voice against our terrorist enemies,” Knollenberg said. “It sends a fundamentally troubling message when an American dignitary is engaged in dialogue with terrorists. My legislation will make sure that taxpayer dollars are not being used to support discussions or negotiations with terrorist groups.”

Former President Carter confirmed over the weekend that he plans to hold meetings with the leaders of the terrorist group Hamas. The United States has long considered Hamas to be a terrorist enemy, and it was declared as such by both Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Knollenberg was the first member of Congress to speak out against President Carter’s planned meeting with Hamas, sending a letter to the former president immediately following news of the plan. Knollenberg’s letter is available online at: http://knollenberg.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=88299

The bill, the Coordinated American Response to Extreme Radicals Act (CARTER Act), would prohibit any taxpayer dollars from being directed to the Carter Center. The Center has received at least $19 million in federal taxpayer funds since 2001.

A small business owner, PTA president, homeowner association president, and parish leader, Congressman Joe Knollenberg has been a citizen leader in Oakland County for the better part of three decades. He was first elected to Congress in 1992 and is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

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See Bruce Kesler's blog entry, plus an editorial on Carter's visit to Arafat's tomb in tomorrow's Investor's Business Daily.

UPDATE