Republicans Threaten UN Funding Over Palestinian Statehood Bid

Republicans are once again taking shots at the United Nations.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has introduced a bill to cut off funding for the U.N. should it change Palestine's statehood status. The Solidarity with Israel Act comes as Palestinians are expected to submit a request to the U.N. for full membership. President Obama visited New York on Wednesday to oppose the bid.

“Israel is one of America’s strongest allies and friends, a beacon of democracy in the Middle East,” said Hatch. “Make no mistake, there will be consequences associated with efforts to undermine the security of America’s friends and allies.”

As Politico points out, "the measure appears to be another example of the GOP trying to woo Jewish voters following an upset victory in a New York special House election earlier this month."

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a $53 billion foreign aid bill that would, among other provisions, threaten closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization's DC office if they pursue a unilateral statehood bid.

This is hardly the GOP's first threat to defund the U.N. Last month, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced similar legislation. Earlier this year, House Republicans tried to cut off a U.N. climate science body as part of a large EPA cuts package.

The U.S. currently provides 22 percent of the U.N.'s budget.

Watch Obama's speech at the U.N.: