Wendy Sherman: “I rise to address two issues involving international economics. The first is the World Bank. The entire world has been…”

“I rise to address two issues involving international economics. The first is the World Bank. The entire world has been fixated on whether Mr. Wolfowitz arranged $195,000 for his paramour, which shows how little attention we pay to things at the World Bank that really matter. Because while we were focused on that, no one focused in the media on the fact that the World Bank is sending over $1.3 billion, roughly a quarter of it our tax dollars, to the government of Iran. Now we are told that this is for wonderful projects in Iran having nothing to do with the government. We here in the House understand something about politics. One of the ways you get reelected, one of the ways the Iranian government holds on to power is to bring home the bacon. I know it's not kosher, I know it is not halal, but that's what that government does, and the World Bank helps them do it. Now, we saw how did the United States use its clout inside the World Bank? Not to stop these loans to Iran and not to stop their disbursements, over $200 million being disbursed by Mr. Wolfowitz himself, but for only two goals. One was to try to prevent the World Bank from being involved in family planning; and the other was to protect Mr. Wolfowitz's career, notwithstanding his errors of judgment. Where is this administration when it comes to prioritizing and representing the national security interests of this country?”