Bill Would Lower U.S. Contribution to U.N. by $240 Million

Talon News ^ | 07/09/03 | Jimmy Moore

[bedolido]

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Rep. J. D. Hayworth, a Republican Congressman from Arizona, and seven co-sponsors have submitted a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would lower the amount of money the United States sends to the United Nations by more than $240 million per year.

Hayworth's bill, H.R. 2303, would make the contribution by the U.S. to the U.N. equal to the largest contribution from any of the other four permanent, veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council.

"Our veto power should cost no more than that of the other permanent members, China, France, Russia, or the United Kingdom," remarked Rep. Hayworth. "Even though their combined Gross Domestic Product nearly equals that of the U.S., we contribute about $115 million more to the U.N. regular budget than those four countries combined. That doesn't make sense, and Congress should put a stop to it."

Currently, the law requires the United States to contribute a fixed 22 percent of the U.N.'s administrative budget. In 2003, the U.S. contribution to the U.N. budget was $341 million. Under the Hayworth proposal, the U.S. payment would be lowered to $100 million annually, matching France's 6.5 percent contribution to the budget. France is the second highest contributor to the U.N.

"The current dues arrangement is particularly objectionable when you consider that each of the other permanent members of the Security Council regularly vote against U.S. proposals," Hayworth argued. "Equal power should be matched by equal dues."

State Department records show that in 2002 China voted against the U.S. over 80 percent of the time. Russia disagreed with the U.S. 78 percent of the time. Great Britain and France both voted with the U.S. 50 percent of the time.

Hayworth is hopeful that his bill will inspire a larger debate about the future role of the U.S. in the U.N.

"The outrages are not limited to the meltdown over Iraq," he said. "Cuba began its recent crackdown on dissidents as it was elected to a new three-year term on the U.N.'s human rights commission. That commission is being chaired by Libya and includes some of the worst abusers of human rights in the world, including Vietnam, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe."

Hayworth warns that something must be done, or the U.N. will become useless.

"There must be reforms if the United Nations is to avoid being reduced to an irrelevant international theater of the absurd," he predicted.

This bill is currently in the House Committee on International Relations.

The seven co-sponsors of the bill are Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-SC), Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA), Rep. Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-NC), Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), and Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY).

Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.

[Semper Paratus]

Let Ted Turner pony up the difference.
Or we could offset the amount by 'booting' the diplo-plate scofflaws.

[JohnGalt]

We'll burn $114 million in a couple weeks of operation Liberia Freedom crapola. This is a (sorry) attempt to keep conservatives thinking that the GOP has not jumped into bed with the radical interventionists.

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[FierceDraka]

Well, it's a start.

[cinFLA]

We'll burn $114 million in a couple weeks of operation Liberia Freedom crapola. This is a (sorry) attempt to keep conservatives thinking that the GOP has not jumped into bed with the radical interventionists.

Libertarians will bash republicans if they

1) Raise UN dues
2) Lower UN dues
3) Make no change
4) All of the above
5) Whenever
6) Just because

[Sofa King]

I still say that we quit the UN and toss their sorry asses off of American soil.

[mtbopfuyn]

Hear! Hear! And then demand a refund of our overages.

[BlueLancer]

7) Because they can.
8) Because they want to.
9) Because they don't want to.

[JohnGalt]

Libertarians will support Republicans if they:

a) Cease all un-Consitutional US taxpayer payments to the UN
b) Withdraw from the UN
c) Either a or b

[chiefqc]

Yes, Yes, and hel* Yes.

[=Intervention=]

Libertarians throw fits whenever anything short of their goals are achieved, even if what is achieved is progress towards their goals. Immaturity has no better standards-bearers.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Currently, the law requires the United States to contribute a fixed 22 percent of the U.N.'s administrative budget.

What law? Whose law? Can somebody please explain this to me?

[rintense]

Good! Screw the UN.

[Tamzee]

Thank you... sounds like a step in the right direction :-)

[blam]

"Hayworth warns that something must be done, or the U.N. will become useless."

They are already useless. Now, hut them down.

[blam]

hut=shut.

[JohnGalt]

Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, or do you disagree.

Hayworth fought the good fight in voting to withhold payments to the UN a few years ago, now he is only asking for a cut in direct payments to the UN body, while the US takes on more direct roles (see Liberia, Afghanistan, South America, Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Kosovo.) It's a clever rational, but hardly deals with anything besides window dressing the cost of interventionist adventures.

[xzins]

How much money actually went to the UN.....admin money, military money, 3rd world development money, NY residence money, etc?

Does anyone know?

I'll bet we give billions more than the 22 percent of admin money mentioned above. And I'll bet that no one else even comes close.

[ArneFufkin]

We'll burn $114 million in a couple weeks of operation Liberia Freedom crapola. This is a (sorry) attempt to keep conservatives thinking that the GOP has not jumped into bed with the radical interventionists.

What specific Liberia Freedom crapola will cost that amount? How did you come up with that number?