On Thursday, New York congresswoman Claudia Tenney, along with 15 other lawmakers, wrote to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking that he investigate whether Ireland’s proposed law violates US anti-boycott law.
The letter urges the Department of the Treasury to conduct a formal review under Section 999 of the Internal Revenue Code and consider adding Ireland to the list of countries that require or may require participation in international boycotts against the US or its allies. If added to the list, there is the potential that American citizens or businesses in Ireland would be subject to additional tax reporting rules.
In a statement, Ms Tenney said that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement was “anti-Israel” and would “economically isolate America’s closest ally in the Middle East”. She said the Irish legislation “aligns with the global BDS movement, which seeks to delegitimise Israel and create legal uncertainty for US companies operating abroad”. “This proposed boycott is discriminatory, dangerous, and would violate US law.”