Dem opposes U.N. cuts, says funds can be used to get apology for Lara Logan assault

In a Friday speech opposing GOP efforts to defund the United Nations, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said the U.N. should be spared in part because it can be used to get an apology and explanation for the assault against CBS reporter Lara Logan.

"As you watch the conflict in Egypt, where we celebrated what happened, but many of you are aware of the tragedy that happened to one of our American reporters, Ms. Logan," Jackson Lee said. "The United Nations is where we can call upon the Egyptian government to explain themselves and to apologize, and call upon the U.N. ambassador from Egypt to apologize to Ms. Logan and apologize to the American people for the tragedy that happened to this woman who was doing her job — the sexual assault, the vicious sexual assault that occurred to her."

More broadly, Jackson Lee said, the UN can help broker other disputes between countries. She was responding to an amendment from Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) to defund the U.N. A vote on that amendment could occur later on Friday.

Other Republicans argued that defunding the U.N. is no great loss. "Where the heck were they during Rwanda?" asked Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). "Where were they?"