Committee Demands UN Accountability for U.S. Billions

Why it Matters

The United States contributes more to the United Nations than any other member state, yet Washington's ability to demand accountability for how those funds are spent has long been a point of friction between Congress and the executive branch. With the Trump administration signaling a more confrontational posture toward multilateral institutions, the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Oversight and Intelligence Subcommittee is set to examine whether existing oversight mechanisms are working — and what reform could look like.

The April 29 hearing, titled "U.S. Accountability At The United Nations: Challenges And Opportunities For Reform," puts a spotlight on a question with real fiscal and diplomatic consequences: Is Congress getting sufficient transparency over billions in U.S. contributions to the UN system?

The Policy Landscape

The Better World Campaign has spent $9,000 per quarter lobbying Congress to maintain U.S. contributions to the United Nations and affiliated organizations, filing disclosures for each quarter from the First Quarter of 2025 through the First Quarter of 2026. That consistent lobbying effort is notable given that one of the hearing's witnesses, Peter Yeo, serves as President of the Better World Campaign, positioning him as a defender of continued U.S. engagement with the UN.

On the other side of that debate, the hearing will also feature Brett Schaefer of the American Enterprise Institute, a longtime critic of UN governance and a prominent voice for conditioning or reducing U.S. contributions absent meaningful reforms. Stefano Gennarini of the Center for Family and Human Rights rounds out the witness list, bringing a perspective focused on how UN human rights bodies have operated in ways critics argue conflict with U.S. policy priorities.

The witness lineup telegraphs the committee's intent: this is not a hearing aimed at defending the status quo.

Meanwhile, UN-affiliated bodies have maintained their own lobbying presence in Washington. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees spent $90,000 per quarter in the Second through Fourth Quarters of 2025 and into the First Quarter of 2026 on lobbying related to refugee relief operations, represented by Ballard Partners. The International Organization for Migration, a UN-related body, similarly ramped up its lobbying from $20,000 in the Second Quarter of 2025 to $40,000 per quarter through the First Quarter of 2026, focused on humane and orderly migration policy.

That lobbying activity reflects the stakes for UN-affiliated organizations if Congress moves to impose new conditions or reduce funding.

Who Is Running the Hearing

Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) chairs the Oversight and Intelligence Subcommittee and will lead the hearing. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) serves as the Ranking Member. The hearing is scheduled for April 29 at 2172 Rayburn House Office Building.

Other members of the subcommittee include Reps. Jim Baird, Warren Davidson, Scott Perry, Ronny Jackson, Darrell Issa, Anna Luna, Dr. Rich McCormick, and Max Miller on the Republican side, alongside Democratic members Sarah McBride, Madeleine Dean, and Brad Schneider.

Broader Context

The hearing arrives as the administration has taken steps to reassess U.S. participation in and funding for multilateral institutions. That posture has generated pressure from advocacy groups and humanitarian organizations that depend on U.S.-backed UN operations. Save the Children spent $130,000 in the First Quarter of 2025 lobbying on foreign assistance, child protection, and international development. CARE Action Now spent $90,000 per quarter across the First through Third Quarters of 2025 on foreign aid and assistance issues.

Those organizations are not witnesses at this hearing, but the policy environment they are lobbying within is precisely what the subcommittee will be interrogating — whether U.S. dollars flowing through the UN system are being spent in ways consistent with American interests and values, and whether Congress has the tools to verify that.

Refugees International also filed a disclosure in the First Quarter of 2025 flagging concerns about the administration's foreign affairs and policy changes, a sign that the humanitarian community has been tracking congressional attitudes toward the UN closely.

The foreign affairs committee hearing will be the first formal congressional examination this year of U.S.-UN accountability mechanisms, and the breadth of the witness perspectives suggests members are looking to build a record, not just hold a conversation.

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