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American Morning

Congress Debates U.N. Dues

Aired May 10, 2001 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the United Nations, a country's standing is largely based on where it sits, in other words, what commission it sits on and therefore what policies it helps to shape. Well, in the past week, the U.S. has been ousted from two commissions. So, outraged U.S. lawmakers are now retailing with a bipartisan bill that would withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from the world body.

CNN Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl joins us now from Capitol Hill with an overview of this issue -- good morning, John.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Those two commissions are, first, the International Narcotics Control Board and, more importantly, the U.N. Human Rights Commission. The U.S. ousted by both of those and law makers up here especially angry about the Human Rights Commission.

They are saying that if the United States is not restored to that commission next year, that they will withhold $244 million worth of U.S. dues to the United Nations if we are not restored next year. Law makers especially angry about this because the U.S. has sat on that commission for more than 50 years, serving on it since it was founded by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt, and now sitting on that commission instead of the United States are countries like Libya and Sudan, which are viewed by the United States as major violators of human rights.

One of those especially angry about this is the number two Republican in the House of Representatives, Dick Armey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DICK ARMEY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: I think we've got us a group of folks here at the U.N. that got a burr on their saddle for one reason or another. They want to send us a message. I think we ought to send one back and say look, don't be calling us ugly and then expect us to take you to the prom, because we've been paying the way for prom dates for a lot of those nations for a lot of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Now, the White House has also strenuously objected to the removal of the U.S. from these commissions, again, especially the Human Rights Commission. But the White House is saying that they are opposed to this measure in the House of Representatives to use U.N. dues as a way to kind of punish the U.N. for this move. They would like to fight this in other ways.

As a matter of fact, Leon, one of the reasons why the U.S. was removed from these commissions is some member nations angry that in the past the U.S. has been delinquent in paying its U.N. dues.

HARRIS: Well, John, can you give us an idea of how much support there is actually on the Hill for this? I mean it's, the Senate, actually, the Congress just got around this same problem about unpaid dues to the U.N. a little while ago when someone close to us, Ted Turner, stepped in and supplied some private money to settle that particular issue. How much support is there for this?

KARL: Well, in fact, Leon, last year with the support of none other than Jesse Helms, one of the most prominent critics of the U.N., the Congress voted to pay up more than a billion dollars worth of back dues. But this issue is a very touchy one, and especially in the House there is widespread support in both parties by members of Congress that are angry by this action.

What's unclear, Leon, though, is what happens if this passes in the House, what happens in the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate right now showing no signs of bringing this up immediately. Although, again, one of the prominent critics of the U.N. is right here, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate, Jesse Helms.

HARRIS: That's right. Good point. All right, thanks much, Jon Karl on Capitol Hill. We'll see you later.

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