again this year. There have been a number of significant reforms that
he deserves credit for, and I wanted that to be clear when I am
offering amendments to change the text.
  I would note there are still things in the appropriations process
that I am not fond of using taxpayer money for, and the United Nations
is one of those things.
  The amendment that I am offering here would prohibit any funds in the
bill from being made available to the United Nations at all.
  The bill continues to fund millions of dollars for the United
Nations, despite longstanding concerns over anti-Israel bias,
corruption, peacekeeper misconduct, institutional failure, and ways in
which the United Nations operates on a regular basis in direct
contradiction to the interests of the United States. That is undeniably
true for observers of the United Nations, particularly over the last
couple of decades and in recent years.
  When you are a nation that is $40 trillion in debt, when you are a
nation that is trying to figure out how to fund the basics of
government and find the dollars that we need to secure the Nation with
a strong defense, to modernize our military, to ensure border security,
all the things that we need to do while we are still racking up debt to
the tune of--by the way, paying for interest on the debt to the tune of
over a trillion dollars a year, spending more on interest than we are
on our own national defense, it strikes me as an inappropriate use of
taxpayer money to continue to send that money to an entity that has
been working in such negative ways with respect to our interests as a
nation.
  Again, I applaud the chairman for all of his great work on things
like UNRWA, working in collaboration with me and others on trying to
remove that funding--it was very important--the United Nations Human
Rights Council abomination, the United Nations Population Fund, other
things that I know that the gentleman has been working on.
  To be very clear, I am not trying to impugn the bill in any way from
that perspective. I just wish to go further.
  I think it is important that we pull the funds from an entity
operating against our interests. It has repeatedly failed to earn the
confidence of the American people. It has stood up in solidarity with
the worst and most evil countries in the world against our interests
and dared to wag their finger at the United States, built on the back
of our funding and generosity and, by the way, real estate, to give
them a platform to target us and to target our interests, in addition
to constantly and consistently going after our friends in Israel.
  Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Chair, the United Nations was
created after World War II with a simple mission: to help prevent
another global war and promote peace among nations.
  Today, it brings together nearly every country in the world to
resolve disputes through diplomacy instead of conflict. It coordinates
humanitarian relief during wars and natural disasters. It feeds
millions of hungry people. It helps vaccinate children, support
refugees, and deploy peacekeepers to help protect civilians and
maintain stability.
  The United Nations has made important contributions to the world. Its
agencies have helped eradicate smallpox, expand childhood
immunizations, delivered lifesaving food and humanitarian assistance to
millions, supported peace agreements, protected refugees, promoted
human rights, and helped countries work together to combat disease,
terrorism, and other threats.
  We are at a time when instability and suffering are almost
unimaginable. The United Nations is a primary partner in getting food
into Sudan through the World Food Programme, delivering health to
children in Haiti through UNICEF, or supporting and monitoring peace in
places like South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
  This amendment will cut that off. It will cut it all off.
  The U.N. also establishes international rules that make global
travel, trade, shipping, aviation, and communications safer and more
reliable.
  Look, the United Nations is not perfect. It should always be held
accountable and reform when necessary, but when the world faces
challenges that no nation can solve themselves, the United Nations
provides a place for countries to work together in pursuit of peace,
security, and human dignity.
  Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROY. Madam Chair, I note that it is just not enough for us to say
that they can do better. This is an organization that has too often
allowed terrorist infiltration within its own entities and sided with
terrorist organizations directly against us and our allies. I have seen
repeated reports of misconduct involving United Nations peacekeeping
operations and too little accountability for those failures.
  We act as if the United States is not capable of working on
unilateral, bilateral, and other bases to be able to do all the great
things we want to do around the world.
  My dad is a polio survivor. There are a lot of things that we can do
to try to make sure we are eradicating these things around the world.
We don't necessarily need a bureaucratic organization that its entire
organizational structure and bias is structured against us, despite the
fact that we fund the overwhelming majority of its operations.
  The United Nations has been operating against our interests. We are
asking American taxpayers to continue to take those dollars and give
them to an entity that has, in its open statements to the world, been
against our interests so many times, time and time again, including
siding with some of the worst countries on the Human Rights Council and
the biggest abusers of human rights. The United Nations is put and
exalted as somehow being those that we should listen to rather than the
United States.
  Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Chair, I have heard folks cite
what we call the good, the bad, and the ugly with the U.N.
  Let me just say again, at a time when conflict, hunger, disease, and
displacement are affecting millions around the world, we need a place
where all nations can get together.
  What would it mean if the United States walks away? If we walk away,
who fills the void? Fill in the blank: China, Russia, maybe even Iran.
  As I have said before, penny-wise, pound-foolish.
  Madam Chair, I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to
oppose it. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROY. Madam Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment to ensure
taxpayer dollars are spent on advancing American interests, not funding
institutions that too often work against them. We are wholly prepared
as a nation to be able to address these issues and concerns. You say,
what will happen? China, Russia, and the rest of the world fear the
United States. They do not fear the United Nations.
  Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of
my time.

                              {time}  1410

  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
  Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.
  The Chair understands that amendment Nos. 22 and 23 will not be
offered.

                 Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Steube

  The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 27
printed in part A of House Report 119-749.
  Mr. STEUBE. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.