[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, AND JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 4, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4276) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 1999, and for other purposes.


  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment 
offered by my friend from Maryland.
  My friend and neighbor Mr. Bartlett argues that it is actually the 
U.N. which owes us money. Nothing could be further from the truth. The 
figures which he cites from the GAO include costs of non-U.N. 
peacekeeping operations undertaken by the United States in our own 
national interest, such as the Gulf War and our operations in Bosnia 
and Haiti, as well as Somalia.
  Every living former Secretary of State opposes the Bartlett 
amendment, including James Baker, Alexander Haig, George Schultz, and 
Henry Kissinger. This is hardly a bunch of free-spending, bleeding-
heart liberals out to hand over U.S. sovereignty. They support U.N. 
funding not only because it is a legal obligation, but because it 
serves our national interest in contributing to global peace, 
prosperity and security, and because it serves our humanitarian 
interests in assisting refugees, improving human rights, and 
establishing the rule of law. Our continued failure to honor our 
obligations threatens our interests by threatening the U.N.'s financial 
and political viability.
  Many of us recognize the need for U.N. reform. But these efforts are 
hampered, not helped, by the current U.N. financial problem. We have 
been trying to reduce our U.N. budget share, but negotiations ended 
last year when other members would not agree to pay more until the U.S. 
paid at least its current obligated share. As the former Secretaries 
have noted, ``without a U.S. commitment to pay arrears . . . U.S. 
efforts to consolidate and advance U.N. reforms and reduce U.S. 
assessments are not going to succeed.''
  I urge a ``no'' vote on the Bartlett amendment.

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