UN Funding Targeted in Vote by Congressional Committee

The House Foreign Affairs Committee today voted for a bill to overhaul  American funding to the United Nations and to open the door to cuts of up to 50 % in US dues to the world body.

The vote broke along party lines, with 23 Republicans in favor and 15 Democrats against. 

It is unclear when the bill would be put forward to the House, but Secretary of State Clinton has already indicated she would recommend President Obama veto it.

 Under the proposed bill, the US would fund UN programs and operations on a case by case voluntary basis rather than the current dues based system. 

Committee Chairman Ileana Ros Lehtinen argued that only a move to a voluntary contributions system could lead to significant reform and improvement of the United Nations system. Lehtinen says the new funding mechanisms would increase US leverage on UN programs and policies that too often work against the interests America and its ally Israel.

The bill would withhold half of the US contribution to the United Nations if the organization failed to fund 80% percent of its budget through voluntary contributions over the next two years. 

Democratic opponents of the bill said it sets up the UN for failure by creating unattainable goals, hoping to force the US to withdraw from the international organization.

“This so-called reform legislation is being marketed as a way to combat efforts for by the Palestinians to gain statehood at the UN and put a stop to some of the repugnant anti-Israel practices at the world body. But that’s really false advertising.” said Howard Berman (D-CA) ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee “The true purpose of the bill is to end US participation in the UN and in the process deal a fatal financial blow to the world body.”