[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 387 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 387

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the current policy on 
              bids for agricultural food tenders in Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2004

   Mr. John submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the current policy on 
              bids for agricultural food tenders in Iraq.

Whereas the United States exhibited a record $541,800,000,000 current account 
        trade deficit in 2003;
Whereas United States agricultural exports have exceeded United States 
        agricultural imports since the late 1950's, generating a surplus in 
        United States agricultural trade that has countered the persistent 
        deficit in nonagricultural United States merchandise trade;
Whereas exports consistently represent 20-30 percent of the value of total farm 
        income in the United States;
Whereas an average of $550,000,000 worth of United States agriculture exports 
        were shipped to Iraq in the 7 years leading up to the embargo of 1991;
Whereas United States commodities provided, on average, 25 percent of 
        agricultural imports by Iraq prior to the embargo of 1991;
Whereas Iraq is expected to require as much as $2,000,000,000 worth of imported 
        agricultural products annually over the next several years;
Whereas Vietnam has recently supplied Iraq with 75,000 metric tons of rice, and 
        food products from other noncoalition nations such as China, France, 
        Pakistan, and the Russian Federation remain in the pipeline for 
        importation by Iraq; and
Whereas the United States has spent tens of billions of dollars in Iraq, and 
        committed hundreds of thousands of American soldiers since the conflict 
        began in March of 2003: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that United States agricultural 
products should be prioritized during any consideration of food aid and 
commercial tenders to Iraq, and that this sentiment should be included 
in any upcoming Memorandum of Understanding or other policy decision 
regarding agricultural food tenders among the World Food Program, the 
Iraq Ministry of Trade, and/or the Coalition Provisional Authority.
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