Republican senators introduce bill to withdraw U.S. from the UN

The legislation, titled the Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act, is spearheaded by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and co-sponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL). In the House of Representatives, the companion bill is being introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX).

The DEFUND Act aims to terminate U.S. membership in the UN and its affiliated organizations, eliminate U.S. funding for UN agencies, and revoke diplomatic immunity for UN officials within the United States.

Sen. Mike Lee, the bill’s primary sponsor, argues that the UN has become a platform for attacking the U.S. and its allies while misusing American taxpayer funds.

“No more blank checks for the United Nations. Americans’ hard-earned dollars have been funneled into initiatives that fly in the face of our values, enabling tyrants, betraying allies, and spreading bigotry. With the DEFUND Act, we’re stepping away from this debacle. If we engage with the UN in the future, it will be on our terms, with the full backing of the Senate and an iron-clad escape clause,” said Sen. Mike Lee.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn echoed these concerns, citing the UN’s alleged failures in maintaining global security and its handling of organizations such as Hamas and China.

“The United Nations has betrayed our trust time and time again, and we cannot continue to be their cash cow and undermine our own national security and interests,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The DEFUND Act would stop all forms of U.S. financial support to the UN and hold this wayward organization accountable for placating Hamas terrorists and the Chinese Communist Party.”

Rep. Chip Roy reinforced these points, referencing specific UN actions that he believes justify a full withdrawal.

“From UNRWA actively protecting Hamas and acting against our ally Israel, delayed condemning Hamas, to China being elected to the ‘Human Rights Council,’ to the propagation of climate hysteria, covering for China's forced abortion and sterilization programs, the UN’s decades-old, internal rot once again raises the questions of why the United States is even still a member or why we're wasting billions — indeed, $12.5 billion in 2021 — every year on it,” said Rep. Chip Roy. “The UN doesn’t deserve one single dime of American taxpayer money or one bit of our support; we should defund it and leave immediately.”

Key Provisions of the DEFUND Act:

· Repeals legislation binding the U.S. to the UN, including the United Nations Participation Act of 1945.

· Terminates all U.S. financial contributions to the UN, both mandatory and voluntary.

· Prohibits U.S. involvement in UN peacekeeping operations.

· Revokes diplomatic immunity for UN officials in the U.S.

· Formalizes withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN conventions.

· Sets conditions for future engagement with the UN, requiring explicit Senate approval and withdrawal provisions.

The introduction of the DEFUND Act follows years of criticism over what its proponents call the UN’s inefficiency and bias against American interests. The bill’s supporters argue that under former President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, the U.S. should prioritize alliances that enhance national security rather than continue funding an organization that they see as ineffective in preventing wars, human rights violations, and global crises.

In line with this approach, on February 4, President Trump previously signed an order withdrawing the U.S. from the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), citing concerns that the council “does not fulfill its mission and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violations.”