IMF: Republicans attach abortion; Clinton will veto (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

U.S. Republicans to attach abortion to IMF funding
Date: Wed Mar 11 11:45:45 CST 1998
                                         
         WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican leaders in the House said 
on Wednesday they will link anti-abortion provisions to a funding
package for the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. 
         The provisions, which killed a similar funding bill for the 
IMF last year, would likely hurt its chances of passage through Con-
gress by driving away Democrats and the Clinton administration. 
         Speaking to reporters after a meeting of House Republicans, 
Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston said the package
would prohibit any U.S. funding to private or multilateral institu-
tions that lobby to change foreign government laws that now ban
abortion. 
         The Louisiana lawmaker said he hoped President Clinton  
"would understand that we're very serious. That's a small conces-
sion." 
         The bill would include the full $18 billion for the IMF  
requested by the administration and just under $1 billion to pay U.S.
arrears to the U.N., he said. 
         Livingston said he expected the IMF and U.N. package to
advance through committees to the full House by the end of March. It
would also require separate action in the Senate and the signature of
the president to become law. 
                
 
Daschle says Clinton to veto any IMF abortion link
Date: Wed Mar 11 13:25:50 CST 1998
                                         
         WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle  
said Wednesday that President Clinton would veto any bill linking
anti-abortion provisions to a funding package for the International
Monetary Fund and the United Nations. 
         "We're going to oppose it," Daschle said. "If it's connected
of course with (the anti-abortion issue) it will be vetoed immedi-
ately and we're going to allow it to be vetoed," Daschle said. 
         House Republican leaders earlier Wednesday said they would  
link any IMF, U.N. funding package to anti-abortion policies. 
         The Republican bill would include the full $18 billion for  
the IMF requested by the administration and just under $1 billion to
pay U.S. arrears to the U.N. 
         Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, said the best course 
of action would be for Democrats to allow the veto and move forward
with new legislation to fund the IMF and United Nations, separating
the anti-abortion issue. 
         "We're just not going to be blackmailed into accepting lan-
guage that is totally unacceptable," Daschle told reporters at his
weekly news conference. 
         He said the principle of abortion "is certainly more impor-
tant" than the funding package but the attempt to link the issue to
an unrelated funding bill was wrong. 
         "We don't think it ought to be held hostage. We will come  
right back and offer IMF and U.N. funding resolutions and legisla-
tion. We'll get this cranked-up all over again very quickly. So this
isn't the end, but it is the end of that particular bill as long as
it has (anti-abortion language) attached to it," Daschle said. 
         He said the administration and Senate Democrats had
exhausted all attempts at compromise with Republicans, but had 
failed. 
         Daschle also said congressional Democrats would reveal their 
fiscal 1999 budget plan on Friday. 
         "Democrats will present a bill that is in keeping with what 
the president has proposed with his budget, with some small changes,"
Daschle said. 
         The plan would specify where money from any tobacco settle-
ment would be applied and would be based on Congressional Budget
Office projections, Daschle said. 
                
 
Top US lawmaker vows to block IMF, UN funding over abortion issue
Date: Wed Mar 11 13:35:17 CST 1998
                                         
   WASHINGTON, March 11 (AFP) - The leader of the US House of Repre-
sentatives vowed Wednesday to block funding for the IMF and the
United Nations unless President Bill Clinton agrees to a contro-
versial abortion measure. 
   "All foreign funding is tied to the same issue," House Speaker  
Newt Gingrich told a small group of reporters after a meeting with 
fellow Republicans. 
   At stake is 18 billion dollars for the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and nearly 800 million dollars in dues owed to the United
Nations. 
   Republicans say they won't approve the money unless the legisla-
tion also includes a provision to restrict US-funded international
family planning organizations from lobbying governments on the
abortion issue. 
   The Clinton administration has vowed to veto any measure with  
such a stipulation. 
   "I can't imagine why the president would veto a simple ban on tax-
payer paid lobbying for abortion," Gingrich said. 
   His comments came the same day UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was
in Washington to discuss a variety of issues, including UN arrear-
ages. 
   "Our (Republican) leadership has made it very clear that IMF is  
dead and (UN) arrearages is dead," unless the abortion provision is 
attached to the funding, said Representative Christopher Smith, a 
leader of anti-abortion forces in the House. 
   The Republican strategy is to first attach the measure to a State
Department bill and then -- assuming Clinton vetoes it -- attach it
to the IMF bill when it comes under consideration. 
   The leader of Democrats in the Senate, Tom Daschle, told a press  
conference Wednesday that the first bill would be "vetoed immedi-
ately" by Clinton. 
   Daschle conceded that posture posed a "risk" to IMF and UN
funding. 
   "What can you do? We're just not going to be blackmailed into 
accepting (abortion) language that is totally unacceptable," he said. 
  Supporters of the family planning groups have labeled the proposed
restriction an imperialist undemocratic "gag rule." Opponents say the
groups are free to continue their lobbying -- as long as they turn
down US money, a major source of their funds. 
   Daschle said Democrats had tried to offer compromises on the issue
to Republicans, but none has been acceptable to them. "And so we're
at a point of complete inability at this point to move the legisla-
tion," he said. 
   The same issue blocked UN funding last year in Congress as well  
as 3.5 billion dollars for the IMF. 
   But as a result of the Asian economic crisis, the Clinton admini-
stration is pressing for the 3.5 billion as well as an additional
14.5 billion dollars for the IMF. 
   Paying the dues to the United Nations remains a low priority for  
many lawmakers, who generally need not worry about the issue with 
their constituents. 
   But Republicans have gotten lobbied heavily by US business groups
in favor of the IMF funding. 
   Nevertheless, Smith noted that many Republicans oppose the IMF
money, regardless of the abortion issue, because of the IMF inter-
vention in Indonesia. 
   Indonesian President Suharto "is a dictator," Smith said. "We're  
talking about bailing out one of the worst dictators in the world 
for ostensibly stability in the world markets." 
                
 
W.House threatens veto of IMF bill over abortion
Date: Wed Mar 11 13:45:48 CST 1998
                                         
         WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday threat-
ened to veto an International Monetary Fund package if Republicans go
through with a pledge to attach anti-abortion provisions to it. 
         "We are certainly moving in that direction if Congress con-
tinues to move in the direction it's moving," White House spokesman
Mike McCurry said. 
         Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives said they  
would attach the abortion language to $18 billion of funding for the
IMF and to money for the United Nations, where U.S. arrears stand at
just under $1 billion. 
         The anti-abortion provisions killed funding for the IMF last 
November, and could derail IMF and U.N. funding again this year
because it would drive away many Democrats and invite a presidential
veto. 
         McCurry told reporters there were "almost constitutional  
issues at stake here." 
         "What Congress is trying to do is to prevent recipients of  
some of this funding from doing what they would be protecting the
United States from doing under the First Amendment," he said. "None
of this money goes for performing abortions or advocating abortions."
 
IMF funding bill threatened by U.S. abortion foes
Date: Wed Mar 11 14:05:44 CST 1998
                                         
         WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - President Bill Clinton's
drive to increase International Monetary Fund resources was put in
serious jeopardy on Wednesday after Republican leaders pledged to
link anti-abortion provisions to the IMF package. 
         The White House immediately threatened to veto the bill if  
Republicans in the House of Representatives attached the abortion
language to $18 billion of funding for the IMF and about $1 billion
toward paying U..S. arrears for the United Nations. 
         House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston said 
the funding package would include the controversial provisions,
banning U.S. funding to private or multilateral institutions that
lobby to change foreign government laws that now ban abortion. 
         "There's no reason for the United States to be engaged in  
that policy," Livingston told reporters. The Louisiana lawmaker 
said he hoped Clinton "would understand that we're very serious" 
about including anti-abortion language in the bill. 
         The anti-abortion provisions killed funding for the IMF last 
November, and could derail IMF and U.N. funding again this year
because it would drive away many Democrats and invite a presidential
veto. 
         The swift reaction from the White House and Democrats in  
Congress was harsh, suggesting IMF funding was now in grave doubt.
"We are certainly moving in that direction (a veto) if Congress
continues to move in the direction it's moving," White House
spokesman Mike McCurry said. 
         Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said Clinton would veto  
any bill linking anti-abortion provisions to funding for the IMF and
United Nations. 
         "We're going to oppose it," the South Dakota Democrat said. 
"If it's connected of course with Mexico City (anti-abortion issue)
it will be vetoed immediately and we're going to allow it to be
vetoed." 
         The White House had urged Republicans not to link anti-
abortion provisions to the funding package, which would replenish IMF
resources drained by multibillion-dollar rescue packages for
Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand. 
         Clinton administration officials have warned that Republi-
cans risked undermining global efforts to end the financial crisis in
Asia. 
         Without a cash boost, IMF officials say the agency might not 
be able to respond to future crises. And many fear if Congress fails
to approve the cash increase then other IMF shareholders around the
world will withhold their share. 
         Clinton's campaign for IMF and U.N. funding has been an  
uphill battle from the start, with many Republican lawmakers vowing
to defeat the package. 
         "Our conference is overwhelmingly against the IMF," New
Jersey Republican Rep. Christopher Smith, a leading abortion foe in
Congress, told reporters. 
         Livingston said he expected the IMF and U.N. package to  
advance through committees to the full House by the end of March. It
would also require separate action in the Senate and the signature of
the president to become law. 
         A separate package would fund the deployment of U.S. troops 
to Iraq and Bosnia, and pay for disaster relief in the United States
from recent adverse weather. Livingston said this package should be
treated by Congress "as a real emergency".