madam chairman , i thank my friend for yielding me time . 
madam chairman , despite almost universal acknowledgment of the problems that exist within the u.n . 
human rights system and in its peacekeeping operations , there has been little reform , a lot of talk , but very little actual reform . 
this amendment is needed to help end this deplorable state of affairs . 
even u.n . 
officials like kofi annan have said , `` unless we remake our human rights machinery , we may be unable to renew public confidence in the u.n . 
itself. '' no truer words have ever been spoken . 
it is a mess and it must be rectified . 
but it is not just the commission on human rights that is broken . 
other u.n . 
bodies , especially the treaty bodies , have strayed from core mandates and failed to act against severe violations of human rights . 
groups like cedaw and others , without absolutely any mandate , promote a right to abortion , nothing mentioned about the unborn child . 
they promote violence against children and they call it a human right . 
nowhere in their documents , including the cedaw convention , can that be found . 
let me also point out that the hyde amendment mandates that countries that fail to uphold the human declaration of human rights should be ineligible for membership on the human rights commission or any followup , like the human rights council that is being proposed . 
we will get rid of those items where israel is singled out by itself at these human rights commission meetings for all kinds of false charges and slander , and other countries like sudan or the people 's republic of china get away unscathed . 
the hyde amendment also mandates that the economic and social council , or ecosoc , abolish secret voting , which has led to all kinds of abuse . 
like i said , we would no longer allow members , rogue nations with despicable human rights records , to be a part of it . 
the hyde u.n . 
reform act also focuses on the area of peacekeeping . 
i would ask members , look at this legislation that is pending before you , h.r. 2601 . 
it doubles the amount of money available for u.n . 
peacekeeping , doubles it . 
i will give you the numbers if you would like to hear them . 
we go from $ 483 million to $ 1.035 billion . 
we are for peacekeeping . 
we want to assure that the kind of abuses that we have seen in congo , in other countries are stopped , and hopefully this legislation will help to do that . 
every single reform that has been proposed is eminently doable , if and only if the political will is there to effectuate it . 
we need to ensure accountability and transparency in the $ 1.2 billion in taxpayer money we spend on peacekeeping every year . 
the hyde amendment does it . 
we need a u.n . 
that speaks strongly and clearly for the universal respect and observance of fundamental human rights and the dignity and the worth of every human person , the equal rights of men and women , as the foundation for freedom , justice , and peace . 
the hyde amendment promotes that . 
more high-sounding words will not help the u.n . 
reform itself . 
as the chairman said a moment ago , we have seen resolution upon resolution here , as well as in new york at the u.n. , and what happens ? 
it dies a slow and ceremonial death because it never gets acted upon . 
we are giving it a push , a real prod . 
this will not end peacekeeping as we know it . 
i think it will make it transparent and , hopefully , make it much more effective and stop the horrific abuses that have been committed by u.n . 
peacekeepers in places like congo . 
