On the recordJanuary 17, 2018
I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3326, the World Bank Accountability Act of 2017. Let me be clear, from the outset, that I support the World Bank and its mission. The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries. It works to reduce poverty and support development around the globe. Let me also be clear that I support this bill's authorization of $3.29 billion to the World Bank's International Development Association, which provides grants and very low-interest loans to the poorest 77 countries on the planet. These countries use this funding for a wide array of investments in areas like education, health, public administration, infrastructure, and resource development, but when I voted for this bill in committee, I joined the ranking member and the rest of my Democratic colleagues in making clear that my support was dependent on working together on making changes to the bill as we moved to the floor. This is about the right of the minority to provide meaningful input into legislation, and that was an agreement that we struck before we voted on the bill. Despite Democrats' best efforts, that did not happen, and there continue to be provisions in this bill that need to be addressed. For example, the bill calls for withholding 30 percent of the U.S.…
