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New bill demands EU, UN, and African Union pay their fair share before U.S. taxpayer money supports AUSSOM mission
Fox News Digital has learned that the United States may stop funding a major peacekeeping mission in Somalia unless the European Union (EU), the African Union (A.U.), and the United Nations (U.N.) start contributing more money.
This plan is part of a new bill being introduced by three Republican senators: Jim Risch of Idaho, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Rick Scott of Florida. The bill is called the “African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Funding Restriction Act of 2025.”
The bill’s goal is to make sure U.S. taxpayers are not paying more than their fair share for international peace efforts. It also aims to pressure the U.N. and A.U. to be more responsible with the money they receive for these missions.
Senator Risch told Fox News Digital that the bill is meant to protect American money and make sure organizations like the U.N. and A.U. are held accountable when it comes to peacekeeping in Africa.
The U.S. has long been involved in fighting terrorist groups in Somalia, especially ISIS and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab. In the past five weeks alone, the U.S. military carried out four airstrikes in Somalia: three targeting ISIS and one targeting al-Shabaab. One of these attacks hit several targets at once.
According to Risch, some European countries are trying to shift more of the financial burden onto the U.S. by changing how funding is handled at the U.N. He said these countries want to avoid paying their fair share and are hoping the U.S. will cover the difference.
Risch strongly disagrees with this approach. “We can’t let that happen,” he said. The bill would block any U.S. funding to AUSSOM under the new system until the U.N. and A.U. can show they are managing their money properly.
Risch added that this aligns with former President Donald Trump’s policy of only using U.S. taxpayer dollars for things that directly benefit Americans. He said the U.S. has been paying far more than its fair share for global security, while allies like those in Europe have not done enough.
Senators Cruz and Scott, who also serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, support the bill. Senator Scott said the U.S. should not allow its tax dollars to be misused by the U.N., especially when other countries are not paying what they should. He emphasized that it’s time to put Americans first and make sure their money is being used wisely.
The key points of the bill include:
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Stop Unfair Spending: The bill would ban the U.S. from giving money to AUSSOM under a new U.N. Security Council rule (UNSCR 2719) unless others also pay their fair share.
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Stricter Oversight: It would require the U.S. Secretary of State to carry out yearly, independent reviews of how well the A.U. is following the rules for peace missions.
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More Transparency: The bill would force the U.S. government to report to Congress on how AUSSOM is performing, how money is being spent, and what role the U.S. is playing.
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Keep Congress Informed: It would require the State Department to give detailed briefings to Congress about the A.U.’s peacekeeping operations.
In short, the bill is about making sure that the U.S. doesn’t carry the financial weight of international peacekeeping missions alone—and that any money spent is done so with care, oversight, and fairness.