Reject Wolfowitz as World Bank Nominee

REJECT WOLFOWITZ AS WORLD BANK NOMINEE -- (House of Representatives - March 17, 2005)

(Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to learn that President Bush has nominated the architect of the ongoing war of Iraq, Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, to head the World Bank.

The nominee's intimate relationship with the Iraq policy's gravest failures, phony intelligence, torture, contractor corruption, and incompetent planning, makes his nomination extremely disturbing.

Mr. Wolfowitz may be qualified as an expert in conducting preemptive war, but he is far from qualified to battle global poverty, overcome the AIDS pandemic or to promote gender equity, all World Bank priorities.

The world community deserves a development expert to champion the World Bank's mission of fighting poverty, a leader who can rally the world's support.

To enhance America's reputation in the world, to ensure that future success of the World Bank and to build a better future for the world's poorest citizens, I urge the World Bank's board of directors to reject this nomination.

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