Rod Grams: “this historic, bipartisan deal was the result of arduous, delicate negotiations--nearly 5 months of painstaking talks…”

“this historic, bipartisan deal was the result of arduous, delicate negotiations--nearly 5 months of painstaking talks with the chairman, the administration, Senator Biden, and his staff. After all that work, after all that effort, we have succeeded in hammering out a fragile bipartisan deal--a deal which saves the American taxpayers money, reforms our foreign affairs apparatus, and requires much needed reform at the United Nations. None of us got everything we wanted. All of us had to make concessions. But the result is a package that, while far from perfect, is something we should all be able to live with. I strongly support the U.N. reform measures. These reforms will help the American taxpayer, and help the international community by creating a United Nations that works. History shows that reforms at the United Nations only happen when Congress mandates those reforms by making its U.N. payments conditional on the implementation of reforms. Consider the recent record: Congress withheld funding until the United Nations established an Independent Office of Internal Oversight--and it happened, and Congress withheld funding until the United Nations appointed an inspector general--and it happened. Under the terms of this legislation, we reduce our regular budget assessment to 20 percent. We reduce our peacekeeping assessment to 25 percent. We reimburse the American taxpayers for U.S. assistance to U.N. peacekeeping operations.”