Gingrich on IMF reforms (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

>From Congress Daily, June 17:
>
>TRADE
>Gingrich Says House Will Not Be 'Bullied' On IMF Funding
>   The House-Senate battle over funding for the International
>Monetary Fund flared again today, as House Speaker Gingrich told
>Republican colleagues he will not allow Senate Appropriations
>Chairman Stevens to "bully" the House into considering the issue
>immediately, according to sources. Speaking at a House Republican
>Conference meeting this morning, Gingrich expressed displeasure
>with statements by Stevens that he would add IMF funding to the
>first available appropriations bill, sources said. And the
>speaker then said he would not allow the House to be "bullied" by
>Stevens.
>   "I don't think that anyone wants to hear that one member is
>going to hold up the Congress," House Republican Conference
>Chairman John Boehner of Ohio said later in discussing Stevens'
>plans - while contending that the role of Congress is to build
>consensus in order to pass legislation. Stevens has insisted that
>he has a deal with House GOP leaders to consider IMF funding, and
>smiled today when told of Gingrich's comments. "I'm not trying to
>bully him," Stevens said. He said the House has yet to consider
>IMF funding and, in an effort to force the issue, reiterated he
>will add IMF spending to the first available funding bill.
>   Meanwhile, Gingrich told CongressDaily that the IMF reform
>bill authored by House Banking Chairman Leach does not go far
>enough to reform the agency, and said, "We will have a [new]
>reform package by the end of next week - that would be my hope."
>Gingrich also said no decision has been made about whether the
>House would provide the entire $18 billion for the IMF, as
>requested by the Clinton administration, or just the $3.5 billion
>for new loan authority. Majority Leader Armey, who continued to
>make his case during today's GOP Conference meeting for requiring
>significant reforms to the IMF before providing additional U.S.
>funds, later said, "We are in a very serious discussion stage in
>the conference right now" about IMF funding. He said the
>conference "had a real interesting debate on the subject," and
>that Leach and Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Calif., also made
>presentations to their colleagues. -by David Baumann and Lisa
>Caruso
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