Republicans threaten to starve UN of funds

The Guardian ^ | May 21, 2005 | Ewen MacAskill

[RWR8189]

The US Congress is on a collision course with the United Nations by threatening to cut its annual budget by tens of millions of pounds, which would disrupt its work on the ground. Henry Hyde, the Republican chairman of the house international relations committee, is circulating an 80-page draft bill suggesting cuts to UN programmes congressmen regard as inefficient or worthless.

Republican senators have waged a long campaign against the UN, much of whose work they oppose on ideological grounds. Their case has been aided by recent scandals, ranging from sex abuse by UN peacekeepers in Africa to the mishandling of the Iraq oil for food programme.

A UN spokesman yesterday described the prospect of a budget cut as "worrying" and recalled problems created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the last time Congress implemented such cuts. The US is the single biggest contributor to the UN, paying about 22% of the total budget, with Japan second on 19.5%.

Mr Hyde's United Nations reform bill of 2005 proposes that the UN implement various reforms and that failure to do so will result in a 50% budget cut. The bill targets programmes, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, which the Israeli government has been campaigning against.

The draft bill, a leaked copy of which the Associated Press news agency published yesterday, also targets the New Partnership for Africa's Development, a scheme championed by Tony Blair that seeks to re ward good governments with increased aid.

Mr Hyde told a congressional hearing: "No observer, be they passionate supporter or dismissive critic, can pretend that the current structure and operations of the UN represent an acceptable standard."

Copies of his draft have been sent to the Democrats and UN officials. UN officials will be hoping the draft bill runs into insurmountable obstacles in the House of Representatives and Senate or is watered down during its passage.

The White House does not want to alienate Europe with UN budget cuts. But George Bush is unlikely to defy his own party by vetoing the bill.

The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has put forward a series of proposals for discussion by the general assembly in September that would amount to the biggest over haul since the foundation of the organisation in 1945.

But most of these reforms are not the same as those being sought by Republicans. The bill proposes that 18 programmes should no longer be paid from the general budget but attract funding from individual countries or collapse for lack of support.

The general assembly meeting threatens to be a fraught session. The chances of success, according to diplomats based at the UN, are 50-50.

UN staff had hoped that a final report by Paul Volcker on the oil for food programme would be published in June, and the row dealt with then.

But UN staff said yesterday the timetable is slipping and the report might now be published in September, threatening to overshadow the general assembly and Mr Annan's proposed reforms.

[A CA Guy]

Another League of Nation bites the dust.

[rmmcdaniell]

I'll believe it when I see it. I'm giving odds that when all is said and done, they will back down and increase funding.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Awwwww, Please don't cut funding to the UN, Anan is my hero, his picture hangs on my wall. Please don't fire him, i couldn't take it if my favorite leader of peace got removed from power. He helps those less fortunate and gives to the poor. I know he would throw a jacket across a puddle for you and me, and he wants us all to be happy. He protects us with his fearless UN warriors. Everyone wishes they could be strong and powerful and they want to see him crumble like Jacko because he's so couragous and they are jealous of him. WHAAAAAaaaa! WHAAaaaaa /SARC!
Almost puked on myself writing it :) hahahahaha OINK OINK
Happy early april 1st :)

[King Prout]

Republican senators have waged a long campaign against the UN, much of whose work they oppose on ideological grounds. Their case has been aided by recent scandals, ranging from sex abuse by UN peacekeepers in Africa to the mishandling of the Iraq oil for food programme.

A UN spokesman yesterday described the prospect of a budget cut as "worrying" and recalled problems created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the last time Congress implemented such cuts. The US is the single biggest contributor to the UN, paying about 22% of the total budget, with Japan second on 19.5%.

hrmn... perhaps we should have a little chat with the Japanese, publicly, in which we would draw a parallel between the Imperial Japanese behavior in China and what the UN is up to today. Perhaps we could, in so doing, manage to get Japan to cut funding for the UN as well.

[abigailsmybaby]

Where can "we the people" put pressure on Congress to lower the boom? Any phone or fax numbers?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

When it comes to liberal media, it's always a plus in their eyes in an article about Republicans when they can use "threaten" and "starve" in the headline.

[An American Patriot]

SEE MY POST--CONTACT TO YOUR SENATORS AND REPS:

SHOWDOWN AT THE U.N . CORAL (American Sovereignty Restoration Act, H.R. 1146)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1405432/posts

Also, an Analysis of the "American Sovereignty Restoration Act", (H.R. 1146) by Henry Titus.

http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/hr1146analysis.htm.

"The Charter of the United Nations is neither politically nor legally binding upon the United States of America or the American people."

still be constitutionally illegitimate and void because it transgresses the Constitution of the United States of America in three major respects:

1. "It unconstitutionally delegates to the United Nations the U.S. Congress' legislative power to initiate war and the U.S. president's executive power to conduct war;

2. It unconstitutionally transfers to the United Nations General Assembly the United States House of Representatives' exclusive power to originate revenue-raising measures; and,

3. It unconstitutionally robs the 50 American states of powers reserved to them by the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America."

A long read, but well worth the effort.

GUARANTEED TO GET YOUR BLOOD BOILING—AND WILL PROD MOST TO ACTION!

More than ever, we NEED a BOLTON, to keep this Oligarchy (A system of government where power is vested in a considerable number of people, but not in the whole population) in check, until we can manage to get the USA out of the UN and the UN out of the USA.

[Fresh Wind]

All they have to do is replace Kofi with Bubba, and the dollars will come pouring in.

[Conservative4Life]

let it 'wither on the vine' get the un out of the US and the US out of the un.... it's time has come and gone.

[jsbankston]

The UN Charter has no provision for withdrawal from the organization. The only action a state can do is withhold funds and not show up to vote at SC and GA meeting.

Even if the US were to withhold funds and boycott the UN ECOSOC would make matters very difficult for US trade.

[Nathan Zachary]

I would hope for more than just a funding cut. That is wishfull thinking I suppose. Still, prayer has power, so pray everyone that the UN is no longer funded at all by the USA, and kicked off the continent.

[SkyPilot]

The lyrics for MoneyTalks by AC/DC from The Razors Edge MONEYTALKS
_______________________________________________________________________________

Yeow! Tailored suits, chaufeured cars,
Fine hotels and big cigars
Up for grabs, all for a price,
Where the red hot girls
keep on dancin' through the night.
T he claim is on you, the sights are on me,
So what do you do, that's guaranteed?
Hey little girl, you want it all,
The furs, the diamonds the paintings on the wall.

Come on, come on, lovin' for the money,
Come on , come on, listen to the money talk
Come on, come on, love me for the money
Come on, come on, listen to the moneytalk

[gulfcoast6]

About time. Now, get tough on the appointment of federal judges and do something about the borders, I am sure if you look around you can find a bargain on backbones cause you sure do need one.

[TXBSAFH]

Good!!!!!!! Starve the bastards out!!!

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Hmmm, no more money for the UN ?

I will feel so sorry for the UN bureaucrats who sit in their plush offices and actually achieve nothing of substance when this happens. A world without the UN would be like a nice river being free of piranhas. (No offense is meant to the fish. At least they are part of the food chain.) The UN is like an malevolent alien body foisted on the world by outside evil forces.

Messianic government anyone ?

[cabbieguy]

"Republicans threaten" Hmmmmmm, where have I heard that before?

[mewzilla]

AUDIT THE UN.

[cb]

The republican party is in a lot of trouble

Notice that most peoples reaction to this kind of news is the assumption that nothing will be done. The pubbies have been outed as gas bags with nothing in them.

so what do we do now?

[onevoter]

While they're at it, they can boot the U.N. out of New York. Let another country host these do-nothing, thumb-my-nose-at-the-law crooks. France loves the U.N. - let's see France donate a prime piece of real estate in Paris. In typical U.N. style, they would quickly decide to bite the hand that feeds them and start anti-France propaganda.