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.