Political Quotes

“Today I will vote against H.R. 519. This bill would direct the United Nations to return $180 million of previously allocated credits to the United States. U.S. citizens who work at the U.N. pay taxes on their salaries-- unlike other nations. To offset this difference in pay and put American employees on an equal level with their foreign counterparts, we pay money into the United Nations Tax Equalization Fund. Over the years, the U.S. has overpaid by $180 million in credits. Since the TEF funds are in the form of credits, not cash, they cannot simply be refunded as H.R. 519 proposes. As a result, the State Department--in consultation with both Democratic and Republican members of Congress--has offset future appropriations by shifting the funds towards areas of spending that ought to be a high priority for everyone: American security and peace keeping operations abroad. $100 million will be directed towards enhanced security at the U.N. Headquarters in New York to better protect the men and women who work there. The remaining $80 million will reduce future spending on U.S. peacekeeping dues, a policy supported by the current and previous administrations. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) states that this bill will not save taxpayers one dime. The money has long been allocated for other purposes and should not be taken away. In this protracted recession, Congress should spend its time on legislation creating jobs and strengthening our economy.”