A bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) would bar the United Nations and its affiliates from imposing any taxes, tariffs, or fees on Americans or their businesses, unless such measures are part of a treaty approved by the Senate, in an effort to block proposed global carbon tax schemes.
The legislation comes in response to ongoing efforts by a U.N. sub-agency to establish a global carbon tax, which Sen. Lee and Rep. Pfluger argue would burden U.S. taxpayers and compromise national sovereignty. This year, President Donald Trump successfully pressed the U.N. to delay a vote on the measure. The UNtaxed Act aims to permanently codify that victory by requiring Senate ratification before any international tax could be imposed on Americans or their businesses.
The bill would also block any U.S. funding — whether assessed or voluntary — that might be used to implement or enforce such a tax. It applies to the United Nations and any of its affiliated bodies, including commissions and specialized agencies.
Under the bill, a “global carbon tax” is defined as one imposed through a global fuel regime that requires vessel operators to reduce emissions or pay based on greenhouse gas output. Such a tax would be banned unless explicitly authorized under a Senate-ratified treaty.
Mike Lee, speaking to Breitbart News, emphasized the bill’s significance: “Americans will never cede their sovereignty to UN busybodies and their socialist redistribution schemes, especially not this carbon tax scam.” The move builds on his prior efforts to reduce U.S. entanglements abroad, such as his push to exit NATO and demand greater financial responsibility from American allies.
Rep. Pfluger posted on X that the bill will ensure “we never let unelected international bureaucrats dictate to the American people,” thanking Sen. Lee for introducing the Senate companion and expressing hope for “continued collaboration to get this legislation over the finish line.” In a press release, Pfluger further stressed that the bill would “kill their global carbon tax scheme permanently by depriving all US funding to any UN agency that attempts to impose a tax on the American people.”
He also echoed concerns about U.S. funding for global institutions, contending that America is already the U.N.’s largest financial contributor and should not be “bankrolling an organization that seeks to tax our people and undermine our economy.”
Sen. Lee also took to X, warning that the U.N. seeks to “tax Americans to advance its globalist climate delusions.” He described the U.N. as “a corrupt platform for people who hate our country” and praised Rep. Pfluger for “leading the charge in the House.” Lee further noted that the legislation supports President Trump’s agenda, which has focused on rolling back multilateral frameworks seen as infringing on American sovereignty.
The UNtaxed Act also fits within a broader Republican critique of the U.N.’s expanding bureaucratic scope and spending. In recent months, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and reform envoy Jeff Bartos have unveiled a series of internal cuts totaling over a billion dollars, arguing that the U.N. has become bloated and misaligned with its original mission. Their reforms include reductions in personnel costs, cuts to peacekeeping operations, and a push to eliminate agencies accused of anti-Israel bias and political waste.
Sen. Mike Lee, who introduced Waltz at his confirmation hearing, praised him as “one of the most well-qualified U.S. Ambassador nominees to the United Nations ever,” citing his track record as a Green Beret colonel and policy director to two Secretaries of Defense.
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