Wisconsin State Sen. Andre’ Jacque, who is running for the 8th Congressional District seat abandoned by Mike Gallagher, wants the United States to withdraw from the United Nations.
On June 24, Jacque signed a pledge committing to “introduce or cosponsor legislation completely terminating U.S. membership in the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other affiliated bodies, and all UN conventions and agreements.”
Candidate Tony Wied has indicated he would “think about” signing the pledge but has yet to do so. At a candidate forum sponsored by Fox Valley Initiative on June 3, candidate Roger Roth was “non-committal” on withdrawal, and he has not signed the pledge.
The United Nations is becoming increasingly controversial. In 2023, the United States paid 22 percent of the United Nations’ regular budget and was charged 27 percent for its “peacekeeping budget,” although Congress caps contributions to the peacekeeping budget at 25 percent, leaving the United States “in arrears.” In 2019, when the U.S. also paid 22 percent, the next-highest “contribution” came from China, at just 12 percent.
Additional reasons for withdrawing from the United Nations are outlined here.
