[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 82 (Monday, June 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HENRY J. HYDE UNITED NATIONS REFORM ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 17, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2745) to 
     reform the United Nations, and for other purposes:

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I stand in wholehearted 
opposition to this outrageous Republican bill, which requires the 
Secretary of State to press for numerous reforms at the United Nations 
(UN) including budgeting, oversight and accountability, peacekeeping, 
and human rights. H.R. 2745, which requires the Secretary of State to 
withhold 50 percent of U.S. assessed contributions to the regular 
budget of the U.N., if the Secretary is unable to certify that the 
reforms called for by this bill have been met, is simply unacceptable.
  The United Nations, which is based in our country, in New York City, 
was created in 1947 by the United Nations Participation Act, with a 
mission of assisting the President and the Department of State in 
conducting United States policy at the United Nations.
  Along with my Democratic colleagues, I wholeheartedly believe in the 
goals of the United Nations, yet I do believe there is some need for 
reforming the organization. The idea that our country can just 
unilaterally withhold 50 percent of what we owe to the U.N. and then 
veto any new or expanded peacekeeping operations is not good politics, 
and does not serve our national interest by any means. I do however; 
strongly believe that the Lantos-Shays substitute, which, if passed, 
would empower the Secretary of State to withhold funds if the suggested 
reforms are not met, would allow the United States to work with other 
nations to achieve true reform.
  There are numerous problems with this bill. Perhaps the most 
ridiculous is the mandating of the withholding of 50 percent of our 
dues to the U.N. by giving inadequate flexibility to the Secretary of 
State. The bill, in effect, mandates a withholding of U.S. dues by 
imposing an unrealistically long list of 38 reforms, a number of which 
are virtually impossible to achieve in such a short period of time.
  In my estimation, given that our country has been, and remains to be, 
the single largest contributor to the U.N., that we should not attempt 
to simply strong arm the organization with threats or sanctions merely 
to achieve the types of reforms we deem necessary. In fact, in 2002, 
our contributions to the U.N. totaled more than $3.0 billion, a total 
which included over $5 million in assessed contributions to their 
regular budget and U.N. affiliated agencies; about $750 million in 
assessed contributions to U.N. peacekeeping activities; about $50 
million for war crimes tribunals; and about $1.7 billion in voluntary 
contributions to U.N.-affiliated organizations and programs. To 
reiterate, I simply do not think that unilaterally withholding funds 
from the United Nations is a good way to achieve real reform of the 
organization, and if I had been able to be here today, I would have 
voted ``yes'' on the Lantos-Shays Substitute, and ``no'' on overall 
passage of the Hyde bill.

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