Some student and community leaders believe the United States' proposal to withhold annual dues from the United Nations will not have much of an effect on international relations.

College Republicans Chairman Andy Banducci said that the withdrawal of dues would not change the relationship between the United States and its allies in any way.

"Hopefully, our European allies will recognize our sovereignty," Banducci said.

U.S. senators recently signed a bill to withhold paying annual dues to the United Nations because of a perceived Oil-for-Food program scandal.

Eleven U.S. Senators, including Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., signed a bill that would withhold funds from the United Nations until the organization cooperates with the United States.

According to the Library of Congress Web site, thomas.loc.gov, the United Nations Accountability Act of 2005 addresses the alleged fraud and mismanagement of funds in the U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

The program, which allowed Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, faces charges that funds were illegally diverted to the Iraqi government while Saddam Hussein was in power.

Because of the alleged fraud, the U.S. government would withhold 10 percent of the total amount of U.S. dues from the United Nations for 2006 and 20 percent of total U.S. dues for 2007.

"[The U.N. needs] to be accountable with their resources, and they haven't been," Santorum said.

Lindsey Fox, head delegate for Penn State Model United Nations, said she does not agree with the congressional investigation of the Oil-for-Food program. "It is not our responsibility because the U.S. has not complied with the U.N," she said. "We need an international investigatory committee made up of many countries," Fox said.

Midori Valdivia, Political Science Association president, said she believes the United Nations' investigation is not unusual.

"Since the U.S. has such a big role in the U.N., it is not surprising that they are conducting investigations," Valdivia said. "The U.N. is cluttered with problems."

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the United States has stopped paying their dues before, but added that the last time an agreement was reached between the United States and the United Nations, it took about a year.

Haq added that there are consequences for withholding U.N. dues.

"If a country pays none of its dues for two straight years, it loses its voting rights in the U.N. General Assembly," Haq said.

Political Science Professor Scott Bennett said the United Nations scandal will hurt the relationship between the two. "It gives ammunition to those people who say that the U.N. is not worth the trouble," Bennett said.

College Democrats President Megan Green said that while changes are needed in the United Nations, withholding funding from the organization is a mistake.

"It sends the wrong message to the rest of the world," Green said.

Banducci said he thinks the possible withdrawal does not signal a permanent change in U.S. policy.

"This is temporary, he said. "There have been no overtures for the United States to withdraw from the U.N."

Bennett said the United States is just trying to send a message.

"This rhetoric is nothing new, he said. "The U.S. will probably not cut back funding to the U.N."

Valdivia said she doubts the effectiveness of withholding funds.

"I don't know that it is an appropriate step," she said. "I'm not sure if it would change things."