Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005
HENRY J. HYDE UNITED NATIONS REFORM ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - June 16, 2005)
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PART 1, SUBPART A AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. GARRETT OF NEW JERSEY
Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. On behalf of the majority we are also very happy to accept this amendment.
This amendment seeks to identify overspending due to possibly rigged contracts at U.N. buildings around the world. The U.S. generally pays 22 percent of those costs. The savings could be in the millions of dollars for U.S. taxpayers if other instances of building improprieties were found and, by connection, action taken to correct those improprieties.
Mr. Chairman, I want to congratulate the gentleman on his amendment, and we are accepting it again as well.
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the majority, I want to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) for offering this very, very important amendment. It will ensure that the U.N. is not using its funds to inadvertently fund terrorism or fraudulent companies. It is a very good amendment, and we accept it and support it.
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PART 1, SUBPART A AMENDMENT NO. 5 OFFERED BY MR. POE
Mr. POE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. POE. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment. One of the difficulties we had when involved with the arrearage issue some years ago was the fact that for many Americans, it was a shock to learn how much of the voluntary and in-kind contributions the United States did make, which were justified, but for which we got no credit.
I think by getting all of the information on assessed, voluntary and in-kind contributions, I think Americans will be amazed, as will international friends around the world in like manner will be amazed, how much the U.S. Government does provide.
So often in-kind contributions like airlift for military operations in no way gets on the ledger, so we do not have a thorough and a full accounting of the U.S. contribution and how the money is spent. I commend the gentleman for his amendment.
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PART 1, SUBPART C AMENDMENT NO. 2 OFFERED BY MR. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, by way of background, the Small Quantities Protocol frees countries from reporting the possession of up to 10 tons of uranium, up to 20 tons of depleted uranium, depending on enrichment, and up to 2.2 pounds of plutonium. Some experts suggest that 10 tons of natural uranium can be processed into sufficient material for up to two nuclear warheads. Iran has already reportedly utilized much smaller quantities of uranium or plutonium in laboratory experiments with suspected links to nuclear arms programs.
A recent IAEA internal memorandum reportedly recommended that the agency's board approve no further small quantity protocols and that it grant the IAEA chief the authority to ask that all signatories to the protocol agree to cancel them.
This amendment seeks to close the loophole from the inspections regime by, number one, calling for the IAEA to rescind the Small Quantities Protocol; secondly, to require that any nation that has signed the Small Quantities Protocol to have implemented and be in compliance with the additional protocol providing for more stringent inspections; and, third, to prohibit any IAEA members from receiving any nuclear-related material, technology, equipment, or assistance and be subjected to penalties if they do not adhere to the higher inspection standards.
Clearly, Mr. Chairman, the protocol is out of date in an era marked by secret nuclear programs that have been discovered in Iran, Libya and North Korea, and where the bar is set much higher for suspicions of possible atomic activities. By rescinding the Small Quantities Protocol, the IAEA will have additional access to evaluate the nuclear program of an IAEA member state and to confirm that the state is in full compliance with its safeguards obligations.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
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PART 1, SUBPART C AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MR. MARKEY
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me just say to my friends and colleagues that this is a good amendment, and, on behalf of the majority, we would like to accept it.
I would say very briefly that unless states which are in noncompliance with their nuclear nonproliferation treaty obligations, or which seek to withdraw from the treaty, are forced to give up their peaceful nuclear capabilities legally acquired under the treaty, they can use these to illegally develop nuclear weapons. As was pointed out by my colleague, such states as North Korea and Iran have already used their status as nuclear nonproliferation treaty parties to develop nuclear weapons, and this closes the loophole. It is a good amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of the time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
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