Unravelling the conundrum of US aid to Haiti
NEW YORK, 21 October 2010 (IRIN): In reporting that “not a cent” of the 1,15 billion US dollar that the US promised for Haiti reconstruction at the UN donors’ conference in March had reached the stricken nation, (nyhedsbureauet) Associated Press largely cast the blame on a single senator – Tom Coburn, a conservative Republican from Oklahoma who had objected to a minor provision in the legislation that authorized the spending.
Coburn had “anonymously pulled” the legislation until his concerns could be addressed, the wire service reported on 28 September, and the senator was swiftly vilified (lagt for had) by prominent liberals for sacrificing the poor of Haiti on the altar of his ongoing campaign for fiscal prudence.
TV-star Jon Stewart called him an “international a**hole of mystery”, for placing a “secret hold” on the bill. MSNBC broadcaster Keith Olbermann said Coburn was “committing an atrocity against the people of Haiti and doing so in the name of ‘We the People’ of the United States.”
It is true that Coburn has placed a hold on much-needed funds for Haiti – 500 million dollar in fact – but he is not holding up the 1,15 billion that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to a round of applause at the UN donors’ conference.
That money was included in a supplemental spending bill that passed both houses of congress, after months of bureaucratic back and forth, and was signed by President Barack Obama on 29 July 2010.
The Obama administration had asked congress for a total of 2,8 billion dollar for Haiti assistance, but the final version of the legislation (H.R. 4899, P.L. 111-212) included a total of 2,93 billion for the Caribian island nation.
The money was divided into three categories:
1) 1,642 billion was earmarked for relief;
2) 1,140 billion for recovery and reconstruction (the money Clinton promised); and
3) 147 million for diplomatic operations.
All os this according to a Congressional Research Service report on 6 August 2010.
As of September, the US Agency for International Development (USAID = Amerikas Danida) reported that more than 1,1 billion of the 1,642 billion dollar for Haiti relief had been spent since the earthquake.
But the 1,140 billion for recovery and reconstruction has remained in the US treasury because the vast proportion of this assistance cannot be disbursed until the secretary of state reports to various congressional committees on exactly how the money will be spent and how its oversight will be managed.
Senator Coburn has nothing to do with the obstruction of this money.
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