President Signs Supplemental Spending Bill Containing Additional UN Funding
July 1, 2008
President Bush signed into law a $186.5 billion supplemental appropriations bill yesterday that provides funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a number of domestic programs, as well as more than $10 billion in non-Defense Department international affairs spending. The bill includes FY 2008 and FY 2009 funding of $524 million for additional US contributions to UN peacekeeping ($333.6 million of which is for the joint UN-African Union operation in Darfur) and $141 million for the account financing US membership dues to 47 international organizations, including the United Nations.
This additional UN funding is expected to help reduce US arrears owed to the United Nations, which stood at a total of $2.4 billion as of March of this year (a portion of this total is for current year arrears caused by different US and UN budget cycles). The supplemental bill also includes an additional $20 million for a US voluntary contribution to the UN World Food Program to help farmers in countries affected by food shortages to increase their crop yields.
Congress completed its work on the bill (H.R. 2642; Public Law 110-252) late last week, just before departing for its Independence Day recess. Soon after it returns, Congress is expected to begin work on the regular FY 2009 appropriations bills funding US assessed and voluntary contributions to the UN system.
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