On the recordFebruary 9, 2011
The American taxpayers have overpaid the U.N. The U.N. didn't tell anybody about it. The Heritage Foundation found out about it and published it last year; and all of a sudden, the U.N. admits, Oops, yes. We have $180 million of American money that was overpaid. The State Department has intervened in a letter today by saying that we not only have intervened, but we have kind of told the U.N. to spend $100 million of that money on security in New York. Now, no question about it, New York probably needs more security around the U.N. That's a different issue. This issue is basic honesty. It's an overpayment by taxpayers. The U.N. got caught, and they should return the money to the United States. And the United States should decide if we want to appropriate more money for security around New York City or the U.N. That is a different issue. But this is an issue of honesty. First of all, the State Department didn't have the authority to go ahead and say, Keep a little of that money--$100 million of it--and spend it on security. They didn't have that authority. And now there is only $80 million left. So I submit, we should pass this legislation. We should expect that the U.N., like everybody else, deal in basic honesty.
