House Backs Withholding Dues to Spur U.N. Changes

The vote was a chance for Congress to assert itself against an administration that has sought to strengthen its role among the branches of government. "It is not for the State Department or even the secretary of state to say when and how the resources of the American people will be spent," said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-Va.) said "bloated bureaucracy" and "anti-Israel bias" at the U.N. "goes against the grain of common sense in America."

The measure seeks to reorganize a vast, 60-year-old organization that has 45,000 staff members worldwide. In addition, it has more than 70,000 peacekeepers.

The bill requires the United States to withhold half of the dues assessed by the United Nations (currently $330 million out of a budget of $1.5 billion) if the secretary of state cannot certify by Oct. 1, 2007, that 32 of 46 conditions have been met. The bill allows an additional year for the other 14.

In addition to the dues, the United States will also pay about $2.5 billion this year in assistance to voluntary programs such as UNICEF. The House bill requires more programs to be moved into that category, because those programs seek funds from donor nations every year, giving Congress more control.

Richard C. Holbrooke, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during President Bill Clinton's second term, called it "the wrong legislation for the current moment" and pointed to the U.N. electoral assistance provided in Iraq.

Some U.N. observers warned that the vote could backfire, emboldening other countries to oppose U.S. initiatives to bring about change in the sprawling world body. John G. Ruggie, a former Annan adviser who is a professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, said the bill is "going to land like a bombshell."

The House rejected, 216 to 190, an alternative by Rep. Tom Lantos (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the International Relations Committee, that would have included the same criteria but would have given the secretary of state discretion in whether and by how much to withhold dues. Lantos called the Hyde bill "a legislative straitjacket" but said he believes "a fairly rational solution" will emerge from the Senate.

Lynch reported from the United Nations.