UNITED NATIONS - U.S. congressional Democrats on Tuesday sought to deflate a Republican bill that would link U.S. dues to the United Nations with reform of the world body, offering a version of their own that doesn't directly tie payments to change.
The offer from U.S. Representative Tom Lantos of California would give the U.S. State Department the choice of withholding up to 50 percent of dues if the United Nations doesn't carry out reforms, Lantos spokeswoman Lynne Weil said. But it does not require the money be held back.
The proposal is far less drastic than a Republican bill introduced by Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois, on Tuesday. It would oblige both the United Nations and the United States to take specific steps, and has raised fears of a funding battle that could plunge the United Nations into financial crisis.
"The Secretary of State needs more flexibility in determining whether and when to withhold dues," Lantos said in a statement. "We don't need more 'big stick' diplomacy. Strangely enough, in this case, the Democrats evidently trust the secretary of state more than the Republicans do."
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