[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 94 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7899-S7900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOOD AID PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 402, which was 
submitted earlier today by Senators Harkin and Cochran.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 402) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate with respect to the 50th anniversary of the Food Aid 
     Program established under the Agricultural Trade Development 
     and Assistance Act of 1954.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of 
the Food for Peace and concessional credit programs established in the 
Agricultural Trade and Development Act of 1954 enacted on July 10, 
1954, Senator Cochran and I are submitting a Senate Resolution to honor 
those programs' many achievements over the past half century.
  The 83rd Congress, working with the Eisenhower administration, 
recognized that the productive capacity of the U.S. agricultural sector 
was outstripping the food and feed needs of our domestic economy and 
that citizens of many war-torn countries had need for our food but 
could not afford to pay for it. They saw that the abundance of food 
available in the United States could be utilized as an instrument in 
building a durable peace after the Second World War.
  Through the past 50 years, the various programs established under the 
Agricultural Trade and Development

[[Page S7900]]

Act of 1954, known as P.L. 480, have helped billions of people in 
developing countries. According to USDA estimates, the Title I program, 
which provides concessional credit to developing countries to purchase 
U.S. agricultural commodities, has enabled the sale of $30 billion 
worth of commodities to nearly 100 countries. In addition, the Food for 
Peace program, authorized under the provisions of Title II of the Act, 
has helped an estimated 3.4 billion people through 2003. These figures 
represent accomplishments we should be proud of.
  Behind these figures lie many years of commitment and hard work by 
employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture and their partners in private voluntary 
organizations and intergovernmental organizations such as Catholic 
Relief Services, CARE, World Vision, and the UN's World Food Program. 
Their crucial efforts include delivering food and development projects 
on the ground in developing countries, assembling and shipping 
commodities from the United States under the program, and evaluating 
project requests and monitoring the programs in Washington, DC. The 
successful implementation of the programs also requires the cooperation 
of governments and non-governmental organizations in the developing 
countries in which the projects occur.
  With such a record of achievement in the past half century, it is 
crucial that Members of Congress and the administration do all they can 
to make sure these programs remain vigorous over the next half century 
and beyond.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 402) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 402

       Whereas, in the aftermath of the Second World War, many 
     countries did not have sufficient cash to buy the 
     agricultural commodities needed to feed the people of those 
     countries, especially in war-torn Europe and Asia;
       Whereas, during the term of President Dwight David 
     Eisenhower, it became apparent that the abundance of food 
     available in the United States could be used as an instrument 
     in building a durable peace after the Second World War;
       Whereas a concessional credit program was established under 
     title I of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance 
     Act of 1954 (commonly known as ``P.L. 480'') (7 U.S.C. 1701 
     et seq.), signed into law on July 10, 1954, to allow for 
     sales of agricultural commodities from the United States to 
     developing countries for dollars on generous credit terms or 
     for local currencies, with proceeds to be used by 
     participating governments or nongovernmental private entities 
     to encourage economic development;
       Whereas since the enactment of the Agricultural Trade 
     Development and Assistance Act of 1954, the title I program 
     has facilitated sales of agricultural commodities from the 
     United States, totaling an estimated $30,000,000,000 to 
     nearly 100 countries;
       Whereas the Food for Peace program was established under 
     title II of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance 
     Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.), to provide humanitarian 
     assistance to poor and hungry people in developing countries, 
     based on legislation originally introduced by Senator Hubert 
     Humphrey;
       Whereas during the half-century since the establishment of 
     the Food for Peace program, the United States Agency for 
     International Development and the Department of Agriculture 
     have worked together to provide 107,000,000 tons of food aid 
     to developing countries, helping an estimated 3,400,000,000 
     people through 2003;
       Whereas the government of the United States has depended on 
     the commitment, skill, and experience of dozens of private 
     voluntary organizations based in the United States, as well 
     as the United Nations World Food Program, to carry out the 
     Food for Peace program on the ground in developing countries; 
     and
       Whereas a number of countries that were early beneficiaries 
     of both programs have emerged as democracies and strong 
     commercial trading partners, including South Korea, Taiwan, 
     the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, and 
     Turkey, in part as a result of development projects and food 
     distribution programs conducted using agricultural 
     commodities from the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) on the 50th anniversary of the date of enactment of the 
     Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 
     U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) on July 10, 1954, recognizes the United 
     States Agency for International Development, the Department 
     of Agriculture, and associated partners for--
       (A) providing emergency food assistance to address famine 
     or other extraordinary relief requirements;
       (B) forging linkages between the abundance of food produced 
     under the agricultural system of the United States and people 
     in need of assistance throughout the world;
       (C) undertaking activities to alleviate hunger;
       (D) promoting economic, agricultural, educational, and 
     community development in developing countries;
       (E) identifying the private partners capable of carrying 
     out the mission of the programs established under that Act;
       (F) implementing procedures governing the use and 
     evaluation of the programs and funds; and
       (G) overseeing the use of taxpayers dollars to carry out 
     the programs; and
       (2) declares that July 10, 2004, is a day that recognizes--
       (A) the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the 
     concessional credit program and the Food for Peace program 
     under the Agricultural Trade and Development Act of 1954 (7 
     U.S.C. 1691 et seq.); and
       (B) the accomplishments of the United States Agency for 
     International Development, the Department of Agriculture, and 
     associated private voluntary organization and nongovernmental 
     organization partners in alleviating hunger and poverty, 
     bolstering development, and restoring hope around the world.

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