Republican Proposal Would Prohibit Transfer of Critical National Security Program to the United Nations

This just in via email:

THE ISSUE

Today, in H.R. 1, Democrats will bring legislation to the House floor supporting the transfer of responsibility for a critical national security program to the United Nations. House Republicans will offer a motion to block it.

The Democrat bill supports placing the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) under the purview of the United Nations. This 9/11 Commission report recognized the PSI as an effective program and suggested it be expanded - the Commission did not recommend placing PSI under the UN or any other multilateral regime, nor did it suggest it needed to authorized explicitly in international law.

The PSI is a critical national security initiative - organized by the United States and involving a number of countries - that uses diplomacy, intelligence, and other counterproliferation tools to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The PSI was a key deterrent to Libya 's nuclear weapons programs, and its dismantling was responsible for uncovering the nuclear "black market" run by Pakistani A.Q. Khan.

The Democrat proposal would force the United States to seek the permission of foreign governments before attempting to interdict illicit WMD material. And it would provide all members of the UN access to the strategies, routes, and participating countries in the PSI, undermining the effectiveness of the program.

THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE

House Republicans will offer a motion-to-recommit that would prohibit this transfer of responsibility and make clear that America 's national security is the responsibility of America alone. The Republican motion reads, in part, that:

"...the responsibility for ensuring the security of the American people rests exclusively with the Government of the United States and should not be delegated in whole or in part to any international organization, agency, or tribunal or to the government of any other country..."

Democrats would prefer that the United Sates trade its soverignty to the United Nations for a wish...