HYDE AGREES TO BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE ON UN REFORM BILL

March 27, 2006 - - On Monday, Henry Hyde (R-IL), Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, announced his willingness to compromise on controversial legislation to force reform of the United Nations by threatening to withhold U.S. dues and agreed to renegotiate the bill with Tom Lantos (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on his Committee.

Hyde’s bill (H.R. 2745), which narrowly passed the House last June by a vote of 221 – 184, called on the UN to implement some 40 reforms including more financial oversight, improved auditing functions, and the creation of a new Human Right Council. It also put in place provisions that would trigger automatic withholding of up to 50 percent of U.S. payments to the world body if these changes were not made.

This 'mandatory withholding' proved unpalatable to the majority of the Senate, where the legislation has languished since late June. Hyde’s decision to rework his bill is therefore expected to improve its chances of becoming law.

But it will also give lawmakers a chance to retool in light of the significant reforms implemented by the UN since the bill’s passage last summer. These include a Peacebuilding commission, a new Ethics Office and a strong whistleblower protection policy as well as improved Human Rights machinery to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights, all of which were reforms stipulated in the Hyde bill.

Representative Lantos proposed an alternative to Hyde’s bill during its consideration on the House floor last year. His legislation, which failed by vote 225 -184, called for many of the same changes but left the decision to withhold U.S. dues to the Secretary of State. The Bush Administration opposes the automatic withholding clauses of Hyde’s bill.

Citizens for Global Solutions applauds Chairman Hyde’s principled decision to compromise on this important bill. A bi-partisan approach that avoids the precarious trigger of mandatory withholding is needed to preserve the strong US-UN relationship and to ensure that our reform goals are achieved.

Updated March 29, 2006