Statement on Committee Passage of Foreign Relations Authorization Act

Peter Yeo, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign, released the following statement on today’s passage of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  The legislation, sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), authorizes full funding for the United Nations and other international organizations whose work supports U.S. national security:

“Passage of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act signals another significant step in Congress’ commitment to supporting American engagement through diplomacy. The global challenges that confront us today -- whether they are climate change, terrorism, disease, or natural disasters -- cannot be tackled by one country alone.

“The Kerry-Lugar bill not only authorizes full funding for the UN but enables the U.S. to permanently raise the arbitrary 25% cap on payments to UN peacekeeping operations, so that the U.S. can pay its bills in full.  As a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, the U.S. has voted for and supported the expansion of all 17 ongoing peace operations around the world, and it is critical that we pay our fair share. The legislation also rightly authorizes resynchronizing U.S. payments to the UN and all treaty-based international organizations on a timetable that makes sense -- at the beginning of each calendar year.

“But the hard work is not done. We now call on the full Senate to pass this legislation and for the President to enact it into law.” 

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