[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 201 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 201

     Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the power of 
 agricultural humanitarian assistance, in the form of a millenium good 
 will food aid initiative, to help guide developing countries down the 
                       path to self sufficiency.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 19, 1999

  Ms. Kaptur submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition 
   to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the power of 
 agricultural humanitarian assistance, in the form of a millenium good 
 will food aid initiative, to help guide developing countries down the 
                       path to self sufficiency.

Whereas abundant agricultural production in the United States has resulted in 
        historically low commodity prices and hardships for farmers whose 
        incomes have fallen drastically;
Whereas less developed countries cannot afford to import adequate supplies of 
        food to meet the basic nutritional needs of their people and face an 
        annual 14,000,000 metric ton shortfall in grains;
Whereas disasters in developing countries, due to flooding, drought, 
        earthquakes, and civil war have compounded the suffering of the poor and 
        thrust millions of low-income and even middle-income families into 
        poverty;
Whereas food aid donations from the United States can fill the food gap in 
        developing countries and regions such as Kosovo, the Middle East, and 
        newly independent states, sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Turkey, 
        and Macedonia, mitigate the effects of disasters, and provide long-term 
        benefits through monetization and targeted economic and social 
        development programs; and
Whereas commodities can be purchased under a variety of existing authorities to 
        stabilize the United States farm economy and then donated abroad to 
        provide assistance to people in needs and to build United States markets 
        abroad: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) commodities held in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust 
        should be increased to the 4,000,000 metric ton maximum level 
        allowed by law to help lift surplus off the backs of American 
        farmers and to be prepared for humanitarian assistance efforts 
        in the future when little or no surplus exists;
            (2) monetization of commodities should be carried out in 
        needy countries as an important developmental tool;
            (3) use of the Commodity Credit Corporation and all other 
        existing authorities should be maximized to assure surpluses in 
        the United States are procured and targeted to be shipped and 
        delivered overseas to needy people;
            (4) USAID and USDA should entertain and evaluate PVO 
        proposals for food assistance in a timely fashion without 
        obstacle;
            (5) USAID should increase humanitarian non-emergency food 
        aid to the extent possible and give PVO's flexibility to use 
        monetization to address local development needs;
            (6) the Treasury Department should look more aggressively 
        at Public Law 480--debt forgiveness for highly indebted poor 
        countries to promote further economic development;
            (7) sanctions should be removed, consistent with United 
        States foreign policy, to promote United States agriculture 
        exports and humanitarian goals; and
            (8) the USDA and all other appropriate departments and 
        agencies of the Federal Government should also participate to 
        the maximum extent possible in multilateral food assistance and 
        development programs operated by the United Nations and other 
        multilateral organizations.
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