Will Blue Dog Democrats Fund Terrorism?

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 2346, the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, this week.  The intended purpose of the bill was to provide another supplemental appropriation for the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, but Barack Obama intends to funnel billions of dollars to the International Monetary Fund (“IMF”).

As bad as that is, there’s worse: the IMF intends to bail out nationalized European banks and various third world governments, including Iran.

In a letter obtained by RedState.com dated March 31, 2009, Blue Dog Democrat Brad Sherman of California, wrote to the President recounted a conversation the two men had the day before regarding "the need to prevent funding from the G-20 package from going to Iran."

According to Sherman’s letter, "[T]he World Bank has been providing assistance to Iran throughout this decade, and continues to do so as we speak. From 2000-2005, some $1.35 billion was approved for Iran in nine separate loan packages."  Further, Sherman insisted, "Iran should not receive any benefits from any of the institutions — World Bank, IMF or any other multilateral institution — that will be utilized by the G-20 to assist with the global recovery while Tehran insists on violating United Nations Security Council Resolutions concerning its nuclear program."

The full text of Brad Sherman’s letter is here (PDF).

Despite Sherman pointing out legislation needed to be structured to “prevent funding from the G-20 package . . . going to Iran,” the Obama administration failed to do so.  Unfortunately for Sherman, not all the other Blue Dogs in the House are lining up with him to oppose H.R. 2346.  

On September 25, 2007, the entire Blue Dog caucus in the House supported H.R. 1400, the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007. The legislation would have prevented Iran from joining the World Trade Organization, imposed economic sanctions on the nation including banning the import of all goods originating from Iran, and prevented Iranian access to American money through third party organizations like the IMF.

In other words, in 2007, the Blue Dogs were happy to stand united in opposition to Iran.  This year, however, they are not.  Compound that with their knowledge that Iran is getting IMF funding and Barack Obama agreed with Brad Sherman that there is a need to prevent funding “from going to Iran” and they should have no reason to support H.R. 2346.

The legislation is coming up for a vote this week in the House of Representatives.  Below is a list of wavering Democrats, mostly Blue Dogs, who are leaning toward voting against H.R. 2346.  A phone call to them, encouraging a no vote on the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, might be enough to hold the line on both using American tax dollars to bail out European banks and freezing IMF funding for Iran.

House Republicans intend to vote as a block against the legislation.  They only need 35 Democrats to vote with them.  Numerous left-wing outlets online report the Republicans are within five Democrat votes of killing the legislation.