Biggest U.S. Aid Recipients Oppose America at U.N.

Of the 15 countries receiving the largest amount of aid from the United States, 14 voted against American positions at the United Nations more than half the time — including Afghanistan, Egypt, and Mexico.

That troubling fact comes to light as a congressman is putting forth an amendment to cut off U.S. aid to nations that routinely oppose American positions at the world body.

According to the amendment from Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, a U.N. member state could not receive aid if it voted contrary to the American stance more than 50 percent of the time in the most recent session of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Foreign Relations Authorization Act requires the State Department to send to Congress a yearly report on how other nations voted in the General Assembly, compared to America’s vote.

The most recent report, for 2009, shows that of the 15 nations that got more than $300 million in American aid during the fiscal year coinciding with the year under State Department review, only Israel voted with the U.S. more than half the time — 97 percent.

Ethiopia, a big aid recipient, voted with America just 8.6 percent of the time. The rest of the 15 nations were Sudan (16.4 percent), Egypt (17.7), Jordan (21.3), Uganda (22.4), Kenya (28.1), Zambia (28.8), South Africa (29.4), Afghanistan (29.9), Nigeria (30), Pakistan (30), Tanzania (32.3), Colombia (33.3), and Mexico (36.8).

Of the 53 nations in Africa, only one — the Seychelles — voted along with the U.S. the majority of the time, while European Union members sided with America 63.9 percent of the time.

Although the United States pays 22 percent of the regular U.N. operating budget, CNS News observes, its vote holds no more weight in the General Assembly than a vote from any of the other 191 members, including those that contribute less than 0.1 percent of the budget.

Other amendments proposed in Congress would go even further than Gohmert’s. One from Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., would prohibit the U.S. from paying any dues at all to the U.N.