U.S. Congress urged to pass voting power changes for IMF

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 130 academics and global policy pundits urged the U.S. Congress on Monday to approve delayed changes in voting powers in the International Monetary Fund and warned that failure to do so would diminish U.S. influence in the global financial lender.

The reforms were approved by the IMF in 2010 in a historic deal that makes China the third-largest voting member in the IMF after the United States and Japan. It also boosts the influence of other emerging economies, like India and Brazil, and supports IMF board changes, which reduce Western Europe's dominance.