Congress to Address Poor Country Debts

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NEW YORK - The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to endorse a legislative proposal this week calling for the cancellation of debts owed by some of the world’s poorest countries.

The rights advocacy groups that have lobbied hard for the passage of the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation told OneWorld they had no doubts that a vast majority of lawmakers will vote in favor.

“We have very strong support in the House,” said Danielle Pals of the Jubilee USA Network, an umbrella group representing more than 80 religious denominations, development agencies, and human rights organizations from across the United States.

The Jubilee USA Network has been trying to convince U.S. lawmakers to pass the proposed legislation on debt cancellation for a long time. Like many other anti-poverty advocates, the group holds that the lending practices of international financial institutions are mainly responsible for the suffering of the poor in developing countries.

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