mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
before i begin , let me just use this opportunity to extend my appreciation to the chairman for his work in so many different areas important and vital to the people of this country , but right now , at the issue at hand before us , an area that is of utmost importance to the constituents in my district , as well as the citizens of this nation and the world community as well . 
so i thank the chairman for his steadfast dedication to addressing these problems . 
also , let me take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the chairman 's staff as well for their efficiency in bringing these matters to the floor and their cooperation in working with our offices in order to proceed along on these matters . 
i rise today , mr. chairman , to offer an amendment regarding possible contract abuses by high-ranking u.n . 
officials and to hopefully make the u.n . 
a more accountable and transparent body . 
this amendment will ask the office of the comptroller general to submit a report to congress detailing the costs associated with the renovation of two u.n . 
buildings in geneva , switzerland . 
let my give my colleagues a little background . 
michael wilson , a friend of u.n . 
secretary general kofi annan , who has referred to the secretary general as his `` uncle , '' is being investigated by a swiss judge of possibly bribing a top u.n . 
official for a $ 50 million renovating contract at the world intellectual property organization . 
it is alleged that mr. wilson xz4004342 paid $ 270 , 000 to a top official at the intellectual property agency named khamis suedi . 
in return , the construction company mr. wilson xz4004342 represented was to be awarded the construction contract for this renovation work . 
here is the interesting connection . 
mr. wilson xz4004342 has also been a close business partner with the secretary general 's son kojo annan . 
in fact , mr. wilson xz4004342 helped get kojo a job at cotecna , a swiss-based inspection firm . 
not long after hiring him , cotecna was awarded a lucrative contract to inspect goods going to iraq with the newly implemented oil-for-food program that we have heard talked about on this floor earlier . 
kofi annan has continuously denied ever meeting with or supporting the cotecna contract proposal . 
in fact , the volcker commission , appointed by kofi annan to investigate the oil-for-food scandal , in their second interim report that came out this spring came out and stated , `` there is no evidence that the selection of cotecna in 1998 was subject to any affirmative or improper influence of the secretary general in the bidding or selection process. '' however , just this week , a memo obtained from mr. wilson xz4004342 around the time that the oil-for-food inspection contract was being decided , stated : `` we had brief discussions with the secretary-general . 
we could count on their support. '' now , the volcker commission only now is hastily reevaluating its initial findings in light of this new evidence ; and kofi annan , as suspected , is dodging questions and hiding now behind the commission . 
i believe that the volcker commission has proven to be too cozy to the secretary-general to adequately assess the true depth of corruption . 
in order to provide a full accounting of any illicit dealings to the american taxpayer , the united states must continue its aggressive investigation , and my amendment will further that goal . 
even real estate magnet donald trump states , in speaking about the proposal in new york city about their planned expansion of their headquarters , `` the united nations is a mess and they are spending hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily on this project. '' if donald trump says they are wasting millions of dollars , i can only imagine what the average american taxpayer 's view must be on the u.n . 
investigations of the u.n . 
financial dealings under kofi annan resemble the peeling back of an onion . 
the more that is cut away , the greater the stench . 
this amendment is a bold step , i believe , in slicing away one more slice of the onion , another layer , to reveal the full account of any illicit dealings at the u.n . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
