380. Letter From Multiple Congressmen to Secretary of the Treasury Baker1
Yesterday you formally asked the House Banking Committee for a markup of the multilateral development bank legislation which includes authorization for a U.S. contribution to the eighth replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA).2
We are writing to express our view that it would be inappropriate to move forward with this legislation until you and the Administration produce significant Republican support for this legislation. We do so as strong supporters of IDA and of a generous U.S. participation in IDA and the other multilateral development institutions.
As you know, the Chairman of the House Banking Committee has made clear his desire to see credible evidence of significant support for the IDA replenishment from Members of the President’s own party. As [Page 925] this letter indicates, we are all in agreement on this point. In the past, bipartisan support for multilateral development institutions has been conspicuously absent. The Administration must take responsibility for ensuring support for IDA VIII from its own party.
In your letter yesterday you commended the “successful bipartisan efforts of Walter Fauntroy and Doug Bereuter” in the adoption of the MDB legislation in Chairman Fauntroy’s subcommittee. In fact, while there was unanimous Democratic support for the measure, the Republican Members were badly divided and there was vocal opposition to the bill from certain Republican Members. Regrettably, that is frequently the pattern when multilateral development assistance is at issue.
You have stated that IDA should not fail because of a lack of commitment. We agree. We are committed to IDA, and we ask only that you and the Administration produce clear and substantial Republican support for IDA. Otherwise, there is no reasonable basis for asking us to proceed in considering a matter which you now characterize, eight months into this session, as one of your “top legislative priorities.”
In passing, let us also make an observation with respect to the other legislative priority you mentioned: the “MIGA” authorization. Again, you should be aware that the full Banking Committee and the full House have already endorsed MIGA in the Omnibus Trade Bill now in conference with the Senate. We invite your support for MIGA and the other elements of the Banking title of that bill.
Because we are deeply concerned about the lack of bipartisan support and commitment to IDA VIII, we would be willing to meet with you at your convenience to discuss how such bipartisan support can be achieved. We look forward to hearing from you about your progress in developing Republican support for an initiative which we believe to be crucial to assisting the poorest nations of the world to achieve sustained growth and provide some measure of prosperity for their people.
Sincerely,
- Fernand J. St Germain
- Tony Coelho
- Walter E. Fauntroy
- Mickey Leland
- John J. LaFalce
- Esteban E. Torres
- Bruce A. Morrison
- Charles E. Schumer
- Joseph P. Kennedy II3
- Kweisi Mfume
- Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 56, Executive Secretariat, Congressional Files, 1987, 56–90–29, Box 35, Group Letters /s/ 9/9/87, Groups Ltrs to St Germain & Nine Others Re MBD Authorization Strategy 87–54796. No classification marking. The letter is on House Banking Committee letterhead.↩
- In an August 5 letter to St Germain, Baker urged the House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs to schedule a markup as soon as possible. See footnote 2, Document 379.↩
- Kennedy signed “Joe Kennedy” above his typed signature.↩