When members of Congress return after Labor Day, they must finish action on a State Department authorization bill which could set a new course both for US relations with the United Nations and for the overall administration of US humanitarian relief, food aid and development programs. This is the amount that the United Nations owes to the United States in reimbursements for peacekeeping. The Administration and a number of the conferees have argued that these funds should count toward the arrears, and are needed to leverage support for the widespread reforms being requested.
Full funding is needed to prevent a new cycle of arrears.
This and other concerns about this proposal were discussed in the July 14 issue of Monday Developments . This language has not yet been adopted by the conferees. Smith also intends to attach his provision to the foreign operations appropriations bill. However, once the appropriations bill moves through the House there may be greater pressure on Smith from the Congressional leadership to drop the provision from the authorization bill.