mr. chairman , i rise today to express my strong support for h.r. 2745 , the united nations ( u.n. ) reform act .  i would like to take this opportunity to thank the distinguished gentleman from illinois ( mr. hyde ) , chairman of the international relations committee , for his leadership on this critically important issue .  for years , americans have watched with disbelief as the united nations has put brutal dictatorships like syria and sudan on its human rights commission , while at the same time it lectures free democracies on what it means to respect human rights .  now , we are seeing not only misplaced condescension , but also widespread corruption .  the u.n .  was established in order to promote international cooperation and peace between nations .  however , the good intentions that led to the u.n. 's founding have been followed by a long list of mismanagement , scandal and corruption .  clearly , the u.n .  is in desperate need of reform .  most recently , for example , there were problems of kickbacks , bribes and nepotism within the oil for food program .  there are also serious concerns with the behavior of the u.n .  peacekeepers in africa , including accusations of sexual abuse of the very people they are there to protect .  these are just two areas of concern ; there are countless other examples .  this important legislation requires the u.n .  to make 39 critical reforms to decrease bureaucracy , increase oversight and most significantly provide accountability .  in order to ensure that the u.n .  takes action , the bill requires the u.s. to withhold 50 percent of our contribution if the u.n .  does not enact these much-needed reforms .  the united states is by far the largest contributor to the u.n .  this year , the u.s. is expected to provide 22 percent of the u.n. 's budget , an estimated $ 362 million .  it is a travesty that our tax dollars are being misused by the u.n .  with no accountability .  this is why we need this legislation .  in closing , mr. chairman , i urge my colleagues to support this bill .  