Senate Votes to Reduce U.S. Dues to U.N.

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Wednesday to reduce the United States' share of the cost of U.N. peacekeeping missions by tens of millions of dollars.

The vote reflected congressional criticism of the United Nations following allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the oil-for-food program for Iraq, sexual abuses by peacekeepers and other scandals.

U.S. dues are now capped at 27.1 percent of the peacekeeping budget. Under a 1994 law, that cap is to be reduced to 25 percent.
.....
The United States is expected to spend about $1 billion on peacekeeping operations this year, with much of the money for activities in Sudan and Haiti. The administration is seeking about the same amount for next year.

If the cap were reduced, that could result in roughly a $75 million peacekeeping cut.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-foreign-aid,0,4197021.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[TahitiNut]

1. We don' need no steenking peezkeeping. We's warriors.

We's the shock and awe keepers - the preventative invaders. :puke:

[CHIMO]

2. Good Idea

And perhaps it can be folded into the changes that Kofi Annan is bringing forward.
Perhaps payments should be based on marginal changes in GNP and the location of the UN reviewed or moved every few years like the Olympics?

[Theduckno2]

7. I like the idea of a movable UN headquarters.

Given the developments in communications in the last sixty years, a permanent headquarters is hardly a necessity. I also think that changes in the Security Council are long overdue.

[rooboy]

3. Anything that gives China more influence in the UN is fine with me....

:eyes:

[w4rma]

4. And other countries respect this nation even less. Which, in turn, means

that this country loses power since less folks care what the GOP leadership running our country thinks.

[Up2Late]

5. Oh I get it, It's like when you pay LESS Taxes, you get MORE say...

...about how the government spends the money, right?

God, these Repukes are stupid.:banghead: :grr:

[Kimber Scott]

6. Let's see Oil for Food Scandal vs. 9 billion missing in Iraq under US rule

Anybody got the numbers? Ah, who cares. It's only our money - not like Oil for Food money.

[Festivito]

8. Unecessary. Dollar lost value. Contribution already decreased. nt.