James Fitzpatrick, Townhall
Every week, President Trump is putting America first on the world stage, cutting tougher trade deals, squeezing NATO freeloaders, and making sure foreign governments finally pay their bills. Now Congress is stepping up to back him.
Right before the August recess, lawmakers tucked language into an appropriations bill blasting foreign governments that have been stiffing U.S. businesses and taxpayers. Now that they’re back, they’re ready to turn up the heat.
At the top of the list? Kuwait.
When most Americans think of Kuwait, they appropriately think of the small country where the U.S. Military spent treasure and blood to protect and liberate from an invading despot. However, for many American businesses, Kuwait has become an “investor beware” place to do business. During COVID, the Kuwaiti government ran up $677 millionin unpaid medical bills at American hospitals by sending its citizens to the U.S. for treatment—and then dragging its feet on paying up. Hospitals only saw the money after banding together with the backing of Congress to pressure Kuwait into coughing it up. To this day, Kuwait allegedly owes American firms for unpaid bills related to the construction of the Al-Zour refinery, one of the biggest in the Middle East, among other outstanding debts.