House GOP Fails On Suspension Vote For UN Funding

Republicans on Wednesday failed for the second time in 24 hours to pass a bill under suspended House rules.

In a 259-169 vote, the House fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to move legislation under the suspension of House rules.

The House failed to meet this requirement on H.R. 519, which would instruct the administration to insist the U.S. be repaid $179 million in money it has overpaid to the United Nations.

This follows a Tuesday vote in which Republicans also could not get a two-thirds majority to approve the extension of three Patriot Act surveillance authorities.
Wednesday's vote was probably less stinging to Republicans because only two members of their party voted against leadership.

In Tuesday night's vote on the Patriot Act provisions, 26 Republicans voted against their leadership.

The GOP needed scores of Democrats to vote with Republicans to move the U.N. bill, but only 23 Democrats supported it.

Republicans who supported the bill said the United States should be repaid the money. In a brief statement toward the end of the debate, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) said it is a "disgrace" to fund the U.N. at all, given how its efforts "hinder progress instead of help it."
One of the two Republicans to vote no on Tuesday, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), called for the overpayments to be used for security improvements.

"This is a matter of life and death," he said. "This is a serious matter."

The other Republican to vote against the measure was also from New York: Rep. Michael Grimm.

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