The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday raised the stakes for the Palestinians’ bid for U.N. membership by threatening to cut off U.S. economic aid and close the Palestinians’ office in Washington.

“We want to let them know, you do that at your own detriment,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of the Palestinian effort. “It is not a wise thing to do. It will not advance peace.”

The House appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations has already passed a bill that would end U.S. economic aid to the Palestinian Authority if they pursued U.N. recognition, strengthening the likelihood of a cutoff.

The United States is the second-biggest foreign donor to the Palestinians after the Europeans, and the loss of the funding could severely affect the Palestinian Authority, which relies on $1 billion in foreign aid to help pay its bills and spur the economy of the occupied West Bank. The congressional bills would leave in place the $100 million annual U.S. contribution to train Palestinian security forces.

Graham’s amendment would require the secretary of state to inform Congress on what actions lawmakers could take regarding the Palestinians’ status in the United States -- “especially about the closing of its office”-- if they sought U.N. membership as a state.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) argued for a delay in voting on the measure, saying that it was a “very sensitive time” and that adopting the amendment could upset negotiations to put off a vote on the Palestinian membership bid. But the measure passed on a voice vote.

Despite the strong statements about ending aid, no action is expected for months on a cutoff of funds, since the House and Senate bills will eventually have be reconciled and may be bundled into a bigger spending bill to be passed later this year.

The Senate appropriations bill includes a waiver that would let the administration temporarily suspend the action, but it was not clear if that would pass the House.