Politics Before Prestige

For nearly three years, Washington's vote in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly has been in jeopardy because of the United States' failure to pay nearly $1.6 billion in outstanding dues. Although this debt does not threaten our role in the UN's Security Council, relations between the United States and the UN have soured during the Clinton administration as a result of the debt.

But last week, the White House and House Republicans struck a deal, which President Clinton is expected to sign this week, agreeing to pay up.

Securing Washington's role in the General Assembly, though, comes at a heavy price--and in more ways than one.

The contract agrees to pay $926 million to the United Nations over the next three years. But the dues will only be freed after Clinton yields to a Republican appeal to halt federal financing to international groups that promote abortion rights overseas.

The fragile relations between America and the UN make it crucial that the Clinton administration and Congress come to an agreement and quickly pay Washington's dues. America's UN debt has also been a major sticking point blocking a budget agreement between Congress and the White House.

But turning to the contentious domestic issue of abortion is certainly not the appropriate solution. While the terms of this negotiation have finally broken the deadlock between the White House and Congress, it has drawn scathing criticism from abortion rights activists and Democratic presidential frontrunners Vice-President Al Gore '69 and former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. And for good reason.

This agreement illustrates how a congressional minority--with an agenda--can manipulate America's foreign policy so that it is no longer in step with the American people or their values.

Anti-abortion Republicans in Congress stalled Washington's UN payments until the situation became too risky to prolong the debt any longer. But if Clinton agrees to the compromise, he will no doubt invoke a waiver that was written into the deal allowing $15 million to continue to go to agencies involved in family planning and reproductive health care services. Without this waiver, the agreement would inhibit the ability of family planning groups around the world to provide reproductive health care services to women.

Since 1973, federal law has prohibited the use of U.S. international family planning funds to perform or promote abortion. And since 1981, any international lobbying on abortion has been banned. With this agreement, the anti-abortion Republicans in Congress intend to extend these prohibitions one step further.

The agreement would deny assistance to overseas organizations that provide abortion services, engage in advocacy related to abortion or even educate about the dangers of unsafe abortions. Such a policy would be illegal in the United States.

It is short-sighted to link something as important as paying our UN dues to family planning policy. Clinton would be wrong to sign this agreement because the two issues should be kept separate. UN dues have no affect on our funding of family planning organizations abroad.

Throughout his administration, Clinton has been strongly committed to protecting abortion rights. He should not reverse his policies and give in to the anti-abortion forces in Congress-regardless of the United States' UN debts.

Clinton should reject this agreement and negotiate a way to pay our debts that doesn't compromise our commitment to women's health and reproductive rights across the world.

Since, however, the compromise is likely to be signed by Clinton and to take effect soon but will expire in a year, we urge next year's House and Senate Democrats to fight against the agreement's offending conditions.

DISSENT: Paying Our Dues

Ought implies can. Although we agree that the Republican tactic of holding world leadership hostage to abortion politics is distasteful, the staff is foolish to criticize President Clinton for his failure to reach a deal that has no strings attached--a pipe dream in the current Congress.

Because Clinton has been given the opportunity to waive some of the agreement's restrictions, the compromise is not so devastating that it justifies prolonging America's debt to the United Nations (UN).

It is shameful that the United States' status in the UN has been marred by our embarrassing unwillingness to pay our share of dues. As a leader in the world community, America expects other nations to pay their dues and obey United Nations mandates.

America's hypocritical failure to support the very institution it created has jeopardized the interests of both the world and our own country.

This is especially significant at a time when the demands on UN resources are increasing around the globe. UN humanitarian efforts and peacekeeping missions will ensure that the dues will be money well spent.

Clinton will not be able to negotiate a better deal than this one without a change in Congressional leadership so that they can easily remove the current offending conditions.

In the case of the UN, it is better to compromise and wait for political change than to not compromise and wait for political change. Responsible politics should compel us to accept this relatively painless agreement and pay the UN dues now.

--Adam I. Arenson '00-'01

Stephen E. Sachs '02