Statement from BWC and UNA-USA on the Rescissions Package Passed by the Senate
“At a time when the world is looking for steady leadership, pulling back from the UN sends the wrong signal.”
Peter Yeo, President of the Better World Campaign
The decision by the Senate to rescind $1 billion from United Nations programs in Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 is a large step backward for U.S. global leadership. The Administration and Congress are right to carefully examine American investments in foreign assistance and the UN and to make tough decisions, but the rescissions package misses the mark.
The UN cuts contained in the legislation will deepen the UN financial crisis. They will also weaken America’s ability to respond to international conflicts, increase the risk of instability and open the door for adversaries like China and Russia to fill the vacuum we leave behind.
Programs with long-standing bipartisan support now face serious setbacks, including:
- UNICEF, which vaccinates 45% of the world’s children and delivers emergency aid to millions
- UN Peacekeeping, including missions in volatile regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where President Trump just helped broker a fragile peace
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), that directs global disaster response in the wake of conflicts, earthquakes and other emergencies
- World Health Organization, which is essential to contain deadly outbreaks, deliver vaccines and provide essential care in crisis zones.
“These cuts aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; they’re a retreat from the world,” said Peter Yeo, President of the Better World Campaign. “At a time when U.S. leadership is needed more than ever, pulling funding from the UN weakens our global standing and hands our competitors the reins.”
As the bill returns to the House of Representatives for a final vote by Friday, July 18, Yeo added, “We agree more countries need to contribute their fair share to the UN — but that doesn’t mean the U.S. should pay zero. We urge the Administration and Congress to reject retreat and chart a more constructive path forward that maintains U.S. leadership.
“These cuts aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; they’re a retreat from the world.”
