Political Quotes

“a supplemental appropriation for the International Monetary Fund, IMF, is rushing toward the Congress. Against the backdrop of headlines coming from Asia, the supplemental appropriation would seem to be needed for an emergency. The fact is, the supplemental appropriation is not needed to bail out Asian borrowers. The bailout has already taken place with existing IMF funds. The supplemental is not needed on an emergency basis. Instead, the supplemental appropriation is a back-door attempt to increase the size and scope of the IMF. The $18 billion supplemental appropriation would be the U.S. share of a planned 45 percent increase in the size of the IMF and in its magnitude. Mr. Speaker, IMF proponents are counting on confusing Congress and the country in order to preclude careful scrutiny and push through a big increase in its size. The real question before this Congress should be do we really want to expand the size and scope of the IMF? Has the IMF been helpful or harmful? Are there changes we want? Mr. Speaker, do we not want to find the answers to these questions before we commit $18 billion to the IMF? The only way to get time to answer those and other questions is to first reject the supplemental appropriation.”