[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 158 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H11860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      U.S. SHOULD PAY U.N. ARREARS

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, last March, seven former Secretaries of 
State from both parties, Republican and Democrat, wrote to Congress and 
told us that it was time for us to pay our debt to the United Nations. 
With time winding down before we adjourn, we still have not followed 
their good advice.
  For decades, the U.N. has played a key role in American international 
affairs and national security. But now by failing to pay our bill, we 
have strained our relationship with some of our closest allies. Our 
influence in the world and at the U.N. is being undermined and our 
ability to bring about critical U.N. reforms is being weakened as well.
  If we fail to pay by the end of the year, the U.S. will loose its 
vote in the U.N. General Assembly under the very rules that we helped 
to adopt. Our international obligations should not be held up by 
disputes over unrelated issues between the House and the President. 
Keeping our promises should be a priority and not a bargaining chip.
  Other countries look to our great Nation for leadership to set an 
example for the rest of the world. They should not look to us and see a 
nation that will not pay its bills because of unrelated issues.

                          ____________________