U.S. Funding for Liberia Awaits Resolution of House and Senate Differences

The U.S. Congress has approved emergency funding for Liberia as part of the $87 billion spending bills for Iraq and Afghanistan that passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives last Friday.

The two measures contain major differences, with the House version including funding for Sudan and for United Nations peacekeeping in Liberia while the Senate language focuses on Liberia's emergency need for humanitarian assistance and help with reconstruction. The differences will be resolved by a conference committee that will be convened to reconcile the two versions of the larger Iraq bills.