Cliff Stearns: “I have in my hand the actual bill, H.R. 1757. If my colleagues are interested, on page 156, I am just going to read what…”

“I have in my hand the actual bill, H.R. 1757. If my colleagues are interested, on page 156, I am just going to read what it says in the one word we are substituting. Of amounts authorized to be appropriated for "Assessed Contributions to International Organizations" by this act, the President may withhold 20 percent of the funds appropriated for the United States assessed contribution to the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies for any calendar year if the Secretary of State. My colleagues, all my amendment does is delete the words "Secretary of State" and put in the word "Congress" so that if the Congress determines that the United Nations or any such agency has failed to implement or to continue to implement consensus-based decisionmaking procedures on budgetary matters which ensure that sufficient attention is paid to the views of the United States and other member states that are the major financial contributors to such assessed budgets. Mr. Chairman, I have a very simple two-line amendment which deletes the words "Secretary of State" and puts in the word "Congress." Members might ask, why should we have Congress instead of the Secretary of State? I believe that Congress has been the central driving force to reform the United Nations. Both colleagues on this side of the aisle and this side of the aisle have made that a clarion call. This section as it is ignores Congress' concern and wishes to administer some type of reform.”