I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4420 
To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions to United 
Nations peacekeeping operations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 13, 2021 
Ms. JACOBS of California (for herself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. BASS, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. PHILLIPS, and Mr. MALINOWSKI) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions 
to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States Commit-
ment to Peacekeeping Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) United Nations (UN) peacekeeping oper-
ations are a critical force-multiplier for the United 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:39 Jul 27, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4420.IH
H4420
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
States, and decades of research has found peace-
keeping to be highly effective in reducing civilian 
deaths, shortening the duration of conflicts, con-
taining the geographic spread of war, and reducing 
the likelihood of conflict reoccurrence and sexual and 
gender-based violence. 
(2) The Government Accountability Office 
found in 2006 and 2018 reviews that it is eight 
times cheaper to financially support a United Na-
tions mission than to deploy United States military 
forces. 
(3) Every UN member state is legally required 
to finance the UN’s peacekeeping budget in order to 
ensure that these missions are properly resourced, 
and assessment rates are renegotiated every three 
years by the UN General Assembly. In 2018 the 
United States voted in support of the current rate 
structure, which sets United States peacekeeping 
contributions at 27.89 percent. 
(4) Since fiscal year 2017, the United States 
has accrued more than $1 billion in debt on its fi-
nancial obligations to UN peacekeeping, due to con-
gressional enforcement of a 1994 law that limits 
United States contributions to 25 percent of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:39 Jul 27, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4420.IH
H4420
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
total UN peacekeeping budget in any fiscal year 
after 1995. 
(5) Since fiscal year 2000, Congress has, on a 
bipartisan basis, lifted the 25 percent cap 15 times, 
including retroactively for calendar years 2006–2008 
during the Bush Administration. 
(6) In 2019, the Department of State reported 
to Congress the following impacts of growing United 
States arrears to the UN: ‘‘(1) Loss of vote or in-
ability to be a member of governing bodies; (2) Di-
minished U.S. standing and diminished ability to 
pursue U.S. priorities; (3) Reduced U.S. ability to 
promote increased oversight and accountability 
through reforms that promote efficiency, cost sav-
ings, and improved management practices; (4) Re-
duced standing needed to successfully promote quali-
fied U.S. citizens to assume senior management 
roles; and (5) Impairments of peacekeeping missions 
to operate, including addressing objectives that may 
directly impact the national security of the United 
States’’. 
(7) United States ongoing accrual of arrears is 
having a negative impact on the financial health of 
UN peacekeeping with low and middle-income coun-
tries, who voluntarily provide the bulk of the troops, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:39 Jul 27, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4420.IH
H4420
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS