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September 21, 2004
President Bush's annual address to the United Nations today comes at a time of great worldwide unease and uncertainty about America's global commitments. Over the past four years, the Bush administration has relentlessly downplayed, denigrated, and alienated our international partners on issues ranging from the war in Iraq and the fight against terrorism to weapons nonproliferation and global poverty. Repairing the damage and showing a real commitment to international cooperation is paramount to America's security and to global stability.
- Conservative leaders have failed to fund critical UN missions the Bush administration itself voted to authorize. Since February 2004, the United States has authorized four new UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Cote D'Ivoire, Burundi, and the Sudan. The United States' assessed responsibility is estimated to be a minimum of $600 million, none of which has been requested at this point.
- The administration's foot dragging on UN funding threatens to return the U.S. to the days of not paying its bills. The Bush administration and Congress can't seem to get their act together to fully pay the 27 percent of peacekeeping missions it has promised to fund. With sensitive issues surrounding nuclear proliferation in Iran and genocide in Sudan coming to the table, it is a dangerous time to be arguing over whether or not we should pay our bills.
- Conservative ideologues are blocking critical public health assistance for women and girls. Pressured by social conservatives flinging baseless charges about coerced abortions, President Bush has withdrawn U.S. support for efforts to provide universal reproductive health care for women and has cut funding for international family planning efforts. Placing ideology over science, the administration has made the U.S. an obstacle to progress on key health issues for women and girls.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
