Coleman's take on the economic downturn, the dollar

As Minnesota’s Mayor in Washington, my priority is to get things done for the people of our great state. From helping out our vets who are struggling to stay on top of their mortgage payments to fighting for lower taxes for our working families to ensuring our Somali population can continue to live safe, happy lives,

March was filled with great success for the people of Minnesota. I invite you to read my March newsletter to learn more about what I’ve been doing in both Minnesota and Washington. As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff concerning these or other issues. Additionally, you can find more information by visiting my website at www.coleman.senate.gov [1].

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Protecting American Tax Dollars at Home and Overseas
I have always made preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in government operations a top priority and it's important for the rest of Congress and the federal government to do so as well. Accordingly, I was extremely concerned when I first heard about a potential change in State Department policy that could leave government spending in Iraq more vulnerable to waste and abuse by removing the investigators and auditors for U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Inspector General from Iraq. An organization that is responsible for distributing aid to developing nations, USAID has been allocated $6.7 billion to reconstruct war-torn areas of Iraq. Without a strong oversight presence in the country, these American tax-dollars would be vulnerable to abuse and reconstruction efforts in Iraq could be severely hindered.

In response, I sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this month urging the Department to keep these investigators on the ground. The good news is that Iraqi Ambassador Ryan Crocker promptly responded and indicated that he will allow USAID investigators to remain on the ground in Iraq. This is the right decision; not only will it protect taxpayer dollars, it also supports additional projects that are critical to both Iraqi reconstruction and America’s success in Iraq.

Good News for Minnesota’s Somali Community
This month, the Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status for qualified Somali citizens for an additional 18 months. This means they will be allowed to continue to live and work here legally. For years, violence and humanitarian crises have plagued the people of Somalia, causing many to take refuge in the United States, particularly in Minnesota. This extension was absolutely necessary, since political unrest has caused Somalia to become even more dangerous since last year’s extension. Sending them home would only add to the instability in Somalia and put these individuals at risk. Going forward, I will continue fighting for Somalis living in my home state and for the establishment of a peaceful, democratic and functional Somali government.

Fighting Against U.N. Racism
American tax dollars should not be used to support an international platform for hateful, anti-Semitic propaganda. Alarmingly, that is exactly what it will be used for if the U.S. participates in the United Nations Durban II Anti-Racism Conference. During the last conference, the United States and Israel walked out after it was suggested that Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism in the official declaration, referring to Israel as a “racist apartheid state”. The late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), a Holocaust survivor and U.S. delegate, was part of the walk-out, calling it the most sickening display of anti-Semitism since the Nazi period.

The first Durban conference was bad enough. With Libya in the Chair and Iran as a Vice-Chair, Durban II will likely be even worse. This month, the Senate unanimously passed an amendment I introduced to the FY09 Budget Resolution to deny U.S. taxpayer dollars from supporting the conference, and instead will direct this funding toward the needs of our veterans. It is my hope that the passage of this amendment will send a clear message: we will not dignify this hypocrisy with funding and we call on the State Department to formally reject U.S. participation in it.