Anyone Know What's Up With This?- Democrats Agree to IMF Money in U.S. War Bill

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Democrats agree to IMF money in U.S. war bill
Tue Jun 2, 2009 4:26pm EDT
By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress have reached a deal to boost support to the International Monetary Fund, lawmakers' aides said on Tuesday, a victory for President Barack Obama who pledged to help the lender assist countries in the global economic crisis.

The war funding measure will provide a $100 billion credit line to the IMF, increase the U.S. member contribution to the IMF by $8 billion and authorize the United States to back the IMF's plan to sell 400 tons (12.97 million ounces) of gold, said the aides, who declined further identification.

Obama had pleaded with the House of Representatives and the Senate to approve the provisions and the full funding package is expected to be completed in the coming days.

The bill must be voted on in both chambers before being sent to Obama. The House approved a $96.7 billion measure for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without including the IMF provisions while the Senate approved a $91.3 billion version with them.

<snip>

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0244336720090602

33 House Democrats Express Concern Over IMF Funds In Supplemental
By: Jane Hamsher Thursday June 4, 2009 9:0o PM

FDL has obtained a copy of a letter written by 33 Democratic members of the House of Representatives expressing their concern after the Senate attached $100 billion for the IMF to the supplemental bill, which was intended primarily to fund the war in Afghanistan (PDF).

Republicans have declared they will vote en masse against the bill because of their objections to the IMF funding. Democratic leadership announced today that they will postpone tomorrow's vote out of concern that they do not have the votes, and they may need as many as 18 of the 51 Democrats who originally voted against the supplemental to switch their positions in order to pass the conference report.

But those 18 may be difficult to come by. In addition to the 51 Democrats who voted against the original bill, there were 33 Democrats who subsequently joined Maxine Waters in expressing their concern over the Senate's addition of the IMF funds -- 14 of whom originally voted "yeah" on the supplemental:

Link to letter here:
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/06/04/33-house-democrats-express-concern-over-imf-funds-in-supplemental/

[blindpig]

1. So it's come to this.....

Republicans kinda/sorta/not-really-but-it-looks-good defending the people against the banksters and the Dems. The Republicans running as populists in 2010, 2012.omg

Ya couldn't do this with funhouse mirrors.

k&r

[glitch]

2. You really couldn't.

Bizarro world continues, the return to reality will be a full crash, not a crash landing as hoped.

[Romulox]

5. Power abhors a vacuum. The Dems can't jettison populism then complain when the Pubs seize it.

[YvonneCa]

7. You also couldn't do this if people were paying attention. n/t

[blindpig]

3. kick n/t

[TBF]

4. K&R n/t

[YvonneCa]

6. IMO the IMF funding is about stabilization of the...

...world economy, and our national security. Developing democracies of eastern Europe...who followed US leadership into the global economy could be at risk. If their economy...and then their governments...fail, that could destabilize Europe. That would be a pretty big thing to risk, national security-wise. I have read that the IMF money is to stabilize such deveoloping countries, if necessary.

I think this action by Democrats SUPPORTS the idea of populism, because no one gains if this economy leads to world de-stabilization. BTW, Senator Kerry spoke on the Senate floor in support of this legislation a couple of weeks ago. C-Span probably has it archived, for anyone interested.