House OKs resolution urging end to U.N. ties

A resolution calling on Congress to consider pulling the United States out of the United Nations passed the Utah House Monday, after a long debate.

Rep. Don Bush, R-Clearfield, tried, but failed, to get the 2003 House to vote on a similar resolution. This year leaders and other GOP members let Bush's HJR3 get a vote, and it passed 42-33. Its fate in the Senate, however, is unclear.

Bush, who served in the Korean War, said since the United Nations was founded after WWII, the United States has not won a war because of U.N. interference. He even blamed the U.S. defeat in the Vietnam War on the United Nations, saying behind the scenes the UN wouldn't let U.S. mine harbours or bomb as the U.S. may have otherwise wished.

A number of representatives rose to speak in support of Bush's resolution, with Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, said the United States should not support the United Nations for no other reason than it is pro-abortion. But Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, said now is not the time for the Utah Legislature to go on the record as not supporting the UN as President Bush is trying to "save the lives of our military men and women" by getting more international participation in Iraq.

The UN does not specifically recognize the forms of governments of its members. Rep. Bush and others said we shouldn't belong to an organization that doesn't recognize the U.S. Constitution, nor puts us in a position where our own country's sovereignty is questioned.

"I am not unpatriotic," said House Majority Leader Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, speaking against the bill. "We have a good Republican president, good Republican majorities" in the U.S. House and Senate, yet Congress hasn't even debated this issue itself. So why is the Utah Legislature worrying about it? he asked. After the resolution was amended to place "God given" before the word "rights," HJR3 was approved.

Voting results on H.J.R.3, as amended, were recorded in the Journal of the House of Representatives as follows:

Yeas, 42; Nays, 33; Absent or not voting, 0.

Voting in the affirmative were Representatives Aagard, Adams, Alexander, Barrus, Bennion, Bigelow, Bird, Bowman, Bryson, Bush, Buttars, Christensen D. Cox, Dayton, Donnelson, Dougall, Ferrin, Ferry, Frank, Hansen, Harper, Hogue, Holdaway, Hughes, E. Hutchings, B. Johnson, King, Kiser, Last, Lockhart, Morley, Murray, Newbold, Noel, Peterson, Philpot, Seitz, G. Snow, Thompson, Ure, Wallace, M. Stephens.

Voting in the negative were Representatives S. Allen, Anderson, Becker, Biskupski, Bourdeaux, Buffmire, Buxton, D. Clark, S. Clark, Curtis, Daniels, Dee, Dillree, Duckworth, Dunnigan, Goodfellow, Gowans, Hardy, Hendrickson, Jones, Lawrence, Litvack, Love, Mascaro, McCartney, McGee, Morgan, Moss, Pace, Shurtliff, Styler, Urquhart, Webb.