On the recordJanuary 8, 2014
Mr. Speaker, there are congressional and administration attempts to circumvent and undermine decades-old laws that prohibit the United States from funding any agency at the United Nations that admits a nonexistent Palestinian state. In October 2011, UNESCO chose to welcome Palestine to its membership. It did so, knowing full well that this would trigger U.S. laws that prohibit us from funding any entity at the U.N. that grants membership to the PLO or any other organization that doesn't meet the internationally recognized attributes of statehood. We must not grant a waiver to UNESCO nor approve any backdoor congressional attempt to provide U.S. funding to UNESCO until it reverses its decision regarding the Palestinian Authority. We are in an economic tailspin, Mr. Speaker. So why waste $250 million in U.S. taxpayer money by giving it--wasting it--to UNESCO? It is madness. ____________________
