[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 150 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H9023-H9028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2014

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5656) to authorize the Feed the Future Initiative 
to reduce global poverty and hunger in developing countries on a 
sustainable basis, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5656

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 
     2014''.

     SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national 
     security interest of the United States to promote global food 
     security and nutrition, consistent with national food 
     security investment plans, which is reinforced through 
     programs, activities, and initiatives that--
       (1) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth 
     that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, 
     particularly among women and children;
       (2) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of 
     small-scale producers, especially women, by working across 
     agricultural value chains and expanding producer access to 
     local and international markets;
       (3) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable 
     populations and households while reducing reliance upon 
     emergency food assistance;
       (4) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth 
     and investment, including through the promotion of secure and 
     transparent property rights;
       (5) improve the nutritional status of women and children, 
     with a focus on reducing child stunting, including through 
     the promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet 
     diversification, and nutritional behaviors that improve 
     maternal and child health;
       (6) align with and leverage broader United States 
     investments in trade, economic growth, science and 
     technology, maternal and child health, and water, sanitation, 
     and hygiene; and
       (7) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer 
     dollars to further these objectives.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
     that the President, in providing assistance to implement the 
     Global Food Security Strategy, should--
       (1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the 
     efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
     implement the Global Food Security Strategy;

[[Page H9024]]

       (2) utilize, to the extent possible, open and streamlined 
     solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range 
     of implementing partners via the most appropriate contracting 
     mechanism; and
       (3) continue to strengthen existing partnerships between 
     developing country institutions of agricultural sciences with 
     universities in the United States, with a focus on building 
     the capacities of developing nation universities in 
     agriculture.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Agriculture.--The term ``agriculture'' means crops, 
     livestock, fisheries, and forestries.
       (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
     of the Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (3) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the 
     Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by 
     United States universities that advance solutions to reduce 
     global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
       (4) Global food security strategy.--The term ``Global Food 
     Security Strategy'' means the strategy developed and 
     implemented pursuant to section 4(a).
       (5) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and 
     nutrition security'' means access to, and availability, 
     utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet 
     caloric and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
       (6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor 
     nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or 
     excess.
       (7) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability 
     of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to 
     mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses to 
     food security in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability 
     and facilitates inclusive growth.
       (8) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term 
     ``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means the 
     United States Agency for International Development, the 
     Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the 
     Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the 
     Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Overseas Private 
     Investment Corporation, the Peace Corps, the Office of the 
     United States Trade Representative, the United States African 
     Development Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, 
     and any other department or agency specified by the President 
     for purposes of this section.
       (9) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale 
     producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, foresters, and 
     fishers that have a low-asset base and limited resources, 
     including land, capital, skills and labor, and, in the case 
     of farmers, typically farm on fewer than 5 hectares of land.

     SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

       (a) Strategy.--The President shall coordinate the 
     development and implementation of a United States whole-of-
     government strategy to accomplish the policy objectives set 
     forth in section 2(a), which shall--
       (1) support and be aligned with country-owned agriculture, 
     nutrition, and food security policy and investment plans 
     developed with input from relevant governmental and 
     nongovernmental sectors within partner countries and regional 
     bodies, including representatives of the private sector, 
     agricultural producers, including women and small-scale 
     producers, international and local civil society 
     organizations, faith-based organizations, research 
     institutions, and farmers as reasonable and appropriate;
       (2) support inclusive agricultural value chain development, 
     with small-scale producers, especially women, gaining greater 
     access to the inputs, skills, networking, bargaining power, 
     financing, and market linkages needed to sustain their long-
     term economic prosperity;
       (3) seek to improve the nutritional status of women and 
     children, particularly during the critical first 1,000-day 
     window until a child reaches 2 years of age, with a focus on 
     reducing child stunting;
       (4) seek to ensure the long-term success of programs by 
     building the capacity of local organizations and 
     institutions;
       (5) integrate resilience strategies into food security 
     programs, such that chronically vulnerable populations are 
     better able to build safety nets, secure livelihoods, access 
     markets, and access opportunities from longer-term economic 
     growth;
       (6) develop community and producer resiliency to natural 
     disasters, emergencies, and natural occurrences that 
     adversely impact agricultural yield;
       (7) harness science, technology, and innovation, including 
     the research conducted at Feed the Future Innovation Labs, or 
     any successor entities, throughout the United States;
       (8) support integrating agricultural development activities 
     among food insecure populations living in proximity to 
     designated national parks or wildlife areas to support 
     wildlife conservation efforts;
       (9) leverage resources and expertise through partnerships 
     with the private sector, farm organizations, cooperatives, 
     civil society, faith-based organizations, research entities, 
     and academic institutions;
       (10) support collaboration, as appropriate, between United 
     States universities and public and private institutions in 
     developing countries to promote agricultural development and 
     innovation;
       (11) set clear and transparent selection criteria for 
     target countries, regions, and intended beneficiaries of 
     assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy;
       (12) set specific and measurable goals, targets, and time 
     frames, and a plan of action consistent with the policy 
     objectives described in section 2(a);
       (13) seek to ensure that target countries respect and 
     promote the lawful land tenure rights of local communities, 
     particularly those of women and small-scale producers; and
       (14) include criteria and methodology for graduating 
     countries from assistance to implement the Global Food 
     Security Strategy once the countries have achieved certain 
     benchmarks.
       (b) Coordination.--The President shall coordinate, through 
     a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of relevant 
     Federal departments and agencies in the implementation of the 
     Global Food Security Strategy by--
       (1) establishing monitoring and evaluation systems, 
     coherence, and coordination across relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies; and
       (2) establishing platforms for regular consultation and 
     collaboration with key stakeholders, including--
       (A) multilateral institutions;
       (B) private voluntary organizations;
       (C) cooperatives;
       (D) the private sector;
       (E) local nongovernmental and civil society organizations;
       (F) faith-based organizations;
       (G) congressional committees; and
       (H) other stakeholders, as appropriate.

     SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 
                   STRATEGY.

       (a) In General.--The President is authorized to provide 
     assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy 
     pursuant to the authorities of section 103, section 103A, 
     title XII of chapter 2 of part I, and chapter 4 of part II of 
     the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151a, 2151a-1, 
     2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.) notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law.
       (b) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The President should seek 
     to ensure that assistance to implement the Global Food 
     Security Strategy is provided under established parameters 
     for a rigorous accountability system to monitor and evaluate 
     progress and impact of the strategy, including by reporting 
     to the appropriate congressional committees and the public on 
     an annual basis.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the President $1,000,600,000 for fiscal 
     year 2015 to carry out this section.

     SEC. 6. REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report that describes 
     the status of the implementation of the Global Food Security 
     Strategy.
       (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall--
       (1) contain a summary of the Global Food Security Strategy 
     as an appendix;
       (2) identify any substantial changes made in the Global 
     Food Security Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
       (3) identify the indicators that will be used to measure 
     results, set benchmarks for progress over time, and establish 
     mechanisms for reporting results in an open and transparent 
     manner;
       (4) describe the progress made in implementing the Global 
     Food Security Strategy;
       (5) assess the progress and results of implementing 
     international food and nutrition security programming;
       (6) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of 
     spending by relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
     implement the Global Food Security Strategy, including by 
     listing all recipients of funding or partner organizations 
     and, to the extent possible, describing their activities;
       (7) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
     impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation 
     of the programming referred to in paragraph (5);
       (8) contain a clear gender analysis of programming that 
     includes established disaggregated gender indicators to 
     better analyze outcomes for food productivity, income growth, 
     equity in access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition;
       (9) describe the strategies and benchmarks for graduating 
     target countries and monitoring any graduated target 
     countries;
       (10) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
     international food security and nutrition programs, 
     activities, and initiatives with--
       (A) other bilateral donors;
       (B) international and multilateral organizations;
       (C) international financial institutions;
       (D) host country governments;
       (E) international and local private voluntary, 
     nongovernmental, faith-based organizations, and civil society 
     organizations; and

[[Page H9025]]

       (F) other stakeholders;
       (11) assess United States Government-facilitated private 
     investment in related sectors and the impact of private 
     sector investment in target countries;
       (12) include consultation with relevant United States 
     Government agencies in the preparation of the report; and
       (13) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and 
     updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
     lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders.
       (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information 
     referred to in subsection (b) shall be made publicly 
     accessible in a timely manner on a consolidated website.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Vargas) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Global Food Security Act, H.R. 5656, is a bipartisan 
bill with 21 cosponsors, including Betty McCollum, our lead Democrat, 
who has worked very hard on this issue.
  I would also like to thank House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman 
Ed Royce, Ranking Member Eliot Engel, Ranking Member Bass. I would like 
to thank Jeff Fortenberry, who has played a key role, as well as Erik 
Paulsen and, again, other Members who have joined across the aisle to 
work on this legislation and to work on the language.
  I also want to thank the staff that worked tirelessly on this. In 
particular, Jenn Holcomb, Kelly Stone from Congresswoman McCollum's 
office; Joan Condon, Katy Crosby, and Janice Kaguyutan from the full 
committee; and from my own staff, Pierro Tozzi. Thank you so much for 
your work in helping to make this bill a reality and bringing it to the 
floor.

                              {time}  1845

  Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation which will help provide a 
long-term solution to global hunger by authorizing and strengthening 
the existing national food security program coordinated by USAID, 
commonly known as Feed the Future. This program strengthens nutrition, 
especially for children during the critical first 1,000-day window--
from conception to the child's second birthday. It also teaches small-
scale farmers--in particular, women--the requisite techniques and best 
practices to increase agricultural yield, thereby helping nations 
achieve food security, which is something that is, first and foremost, 
humane but also in the national security interests of the United 
States.
  As USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah has pointed out--who, I want to 
point out, parenthetically, has done a tremendous job as the 
Administrator of USAID--this program encourages self-sufficiency and 
operates in targeted countries where the host governments have 
committed to investing in local agricultural development and to 
undertaking reforms that allow the private sector to flourish. Its 
hallmarks are the building of local capacity and sustainability, as 
well as resiliency in linking local entrepreneurs to the global 
economy, while boosting transparency and accountability.
  The end result of this can be seen in lives saved and in lives 
enriched. In the past year, the Feed the Future program has helped 7 
million farmers across the globe to increase harvests, resulting in 
improved nutrition for some 12.5 million children. To give one example, 
in Ethiopia, stunting rates were driven down by some 9 percent in just 
3 years, resulting in, roughly, 160,000 fewer children suffering from 
malnutrition.
  Yet, today, even though progress has been made, malnutrition is the 
underlying cause of death for at least 3.1 million children per year 
around the world and is responsible for 45 percent of all deaths among 
children under 5. More than 800,000 babies--one in four newborns--die 
each year because they are born too soon or they are too small as a 
result of poor maternal nutrition.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the first laws that I wrote over 30 years ago was 
the Child Survival Fund--a $50 million program that included 
vaccinating kids to protect against preventable diseases like polio, 
pertussis, and diphtheria, as well as oral rehydration for kids at risk 
of death from repeated bouts of diarrheal disease. What we discovered 
then was that, for mere pennies on the dollar, we could intervene 
before problems arose, not only saving lives but also saving money in 
the long term. This Global Food Security Act has the potential to be 
equally transformative in the lives of so many.
  Malnutrition, in addition to death, leads to the stunted growth of 
children. Stunted children become adults who suffer from diabetes, 
hypertension, and cardiovascular disease--conditions that not only 
result in poor health but that also impede earning capacity and result 
in lower incomes. Of particular concern, women affected by stunting 
give birth to children who are also likely to be afflicted by this 
preventable condition, perpetuating the cycle of malnutrition and of 
poverty.
  Adequate nutrition for pregnant women, lactating moms, and all women 
and adolescent girls of childbearing age needs to be prioritized in 
food policies for the sake of children, women, and, by extension, 
nations. By ensuring comprehensive prenatal, maternal, and robust 
support, including nutrition--again, through that first 1,000 days of 
life--government health workers, civil society, and others will not 
only prevent many deaths, but children will be stronger, healthier, 
happier; their immune systems will be boosted; and as they matriculate 
to adulthood, they will be more prosperous. If women of childbearing 
age are well-nourished, they are healthier and are able to provide 
nourishment for their children.
  I remember being in so many refugee camps. At a Darfur refugee camp, 
on one of many trips to Africa, I remember the women there were so 
concerned that they would be able to breastfeed their children, but 
they were so malnourished that that was next to impossible. After 
several weeks, they were able to do so.
  I should also add, when these children--healthy children--get this 
kind of help, it also ensures greater not only physical but cognitive 
development. Healthy children thrive and are empowered to become 
healthy adults. Again, they can make, because of that, meaningful 
contributions to their families and society.
  Finally, I note that the program authorized by H.R. 5656 is not only 
penny-wise, but it is also pound-wise. It is economical in the long 
run, and it should lead to a reduction in the amount of money we spend 
on emergency food aid. A comprehensive food security strategy outlined 
in the bill, as well as in the policy, also helps us to do more with 
less by leveraging our aid with that of other countries, the private 
sector, NGOs, and especially faith-based organizations, whose great 
work on the ground in so many different countries impacts so many 
lives.
  By statutorily authorizing this program, which has its roots in the 
Bush administration and was formalized by President Obama and, thus, is 
an example of bipartisan success on both the executive and legislative 
levels, we are also increasing oversight by requiring the 
administration to report to Congress.
  H.R. 5656 demonstrates, again, strong bipartisan support that does 
exist for assistance, and it is a strategy that truly gives people the 
tools to let themselves out of poverty and to live healthier and better 
lives.
  I implore you, my colleagues, to vote in favor of it, and, hopefully, 
this legislation can become law by the end of this session.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 5656, the Global Food Security Act 
of 2014.
  I would like to begin by thanking Congressman Chris Smith and 
Congresswoman Betty McCollum for authoring this important legislation, 
which authorizes USAID's Feed the Future Initiative. I would also like 
to thank Chairman Royce for working with us in a bipartisan manner to 
take

[[Page H9026]]

this bill up in committee and bring it to the floor.
  Around the world, 800 million people suffer from chronic hunger. 
Malnutrition causes the deaths of 3.1 million children under the age of 
5 every year. This is a global crisis. President Obama has made global 
food security a top priority, and USAID Administrator Raj Shah has done 
tremendous work in carrying out that policy.
  The Feed the Future Initiative focuses on reducing global poverty and 
hunger in developing countries through agricultural development. This 
program is only a few years old, but it has already made a real 
difference in fighting hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
  In 2013, Feed the Future helped nearly 7 million farmers and food 
producers use new technologies. This initiative has secured more than 
$10 billion in private sector commitments to African agriculture, the 
majority of which has been made by African businesses. It has helped 
bring 3.5 million hectares of land under improved cultivation and 
management practices. Last year, the initiative reached more than 12.5 
million children with nutritional assistance.
  The success of this initiative stems, in part, from the collaboration 
and partnership of more than 10 U.S. Government agencies, the private 
sector, NGOs, and American universities. By working together, they have 
helped to advance real solutions to global hunger, poverty, and 
malnutrition.
  Most importantly, Feed the Future has generated strong buy-in from 
partner governments in 19 countries across Latin America and the 
Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Each host country is required to put 
forward a country investment plan and contribute a portion of its own 
GDP to agricultural development. This model ensures that Feed the 
Future programs are sustainable and can eventually be transferred fully 
to the host country.
  Despite the gains we have made, there is still a lot of work that has 
to be done. We need continued American leadership in global food 
security. We need proven programs like Feed the Future to continue its 
highly effective work in alleviating global hunger and poverty.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), a member of 
the Appropriations Committee and also one of the sponsors of the 
legislation before us.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank my friend 
and colleague, Chairman Chris Smith, for his steadfast leadership on 
this issue, this important bill, as well as on so many other concerns 
that affect vulnerable persons around the world.
  Again, Congressman Smith, you rightly pointed out that Dr. Rajiv 
Shah, the Agency Director for the United States Agency for 
International Development, has been steadfast in his leadership on this 
as well and deserves a tremendous amount of credit.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this important bipartisan 
initiative to save the lives of hurting people around the world. The 
United States has a decades-long history on food security, and this 
act--the Global Food Security Act, also known as Feed the Future--
really does three things: it saves lives; it creates sustainable 
development throughout the world; and it strengthens our own national 
security by stopping the underlying problems that lead to international 
instability.
  Americans are the most generous people in the world. This bill 
continues our tradition of generosity in a smart, whole-of-government 
approach that combines the goodwill of the private sector as well as 
charities for a 21st century approach to development aid. Feed the 
Future is one of the most cost-effective and results-oriented 
international development initiatives that we have championed to date. 
It is the right thing to do.
  Many of some estimated 800 million people throughout the world who 
suffer from chronic hunger rely on agriculture to make a living. Back 
in 2007 and 2008, we launched this response to the global food crisis 
by helping to bring self-sufficiency to struggling agricultural 
communities worldwide. By working together with partner countries that 
are invested in taking responsibility for their own success, what 
started out as a modest program has developed into a serious global 
commitment to end hunger and improve nutrition standards, especially 
for vulnerable women and their children.
  In 2013 alone, market-based agricultural productivity initiatives 
funded by Congress reached more than 12.5 million children with good 
nutrition and has helped some 7 million farmers leverage new 
agricultural technologies on nearly 10 million acres of land. 
Importantly as well, Feed the Future has leveraged more than $10 
billion in private sector investment--the majority from African 
businesses.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this very thoughtful 
measure, which has earned broad-based support from the U.S. 
agricultural sector, universities nationwide, faith-based 
nongovernmental organizations, as well as private enterprise. We will 
never regret the good we can do in helping feed the hungry, and the 
return on this investment will surely compound to the benefit of future 
generations in, perhaps, ways we can never measure.
  To everyone who has been involved here and to my colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle, I want to thank you all for working in such a 
bipartisan spirit to get this important bill done.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota, Representative Betty McCollum, the coauthor of this bill.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Thank you, Mr. Vargas.
  Mr. Speaker, the Global Food Security Act is an important bill, and I 
want to thank my colleagues--Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, 
Representative Bass, and Representative Fortenberry for his kind 
remarks--for their hard work to get this bipartisan legislation to the 
floor today. My very biggest ``thank you'' goes to my great partner in 
this, Representative Chris Smith.
  Thank you, Mr. Smith.
  Mr. Speaker, in the world's poorest countries, more than 800 million 
people are chronically hungry and malnourished. They are struggling and 
are in desperate poverty, forced to watch as their children suffer and 
too often die from malnutrition. Children who do survive will remain 
hungry, and they are so chronically malnourished they are physically 
and mentally stunted. This malnutrition--this lack of food--hurts not 
only the individual but the development of an entire country.
  With this in mind, former Republican Senator Dick Lugar and I 
introduced bipartisan-bicameral legislation to call for a comprehensive 
U.S. food global security strategy in 2009.

                              {time}  1900

  But while that bill did not become law, we did build a strong base of 
bipartisan support around food security, and in 2010, President Obama 
took up the call to invest in agricultural development and launched 
Feed the Future.
  With the support of Congress, Feed the Future is working to 
accelerate agriculturally-led economic growth and reduce poverty. It is 
working with smallholder farmers in 19 countries to help them grow 
their way out of poverty, improve nutrition for women and children, and 
create income-generating opportunities.
  I have seen the difference our investments in agriculture and 
nutrition are having in these developing nations. I have met the women 
farmers who are feeding their families, sending their children to 
school, and investing in their communities because of Feed the Future. 
And we need to continue to build on these successes.
  The Global Food Security Act will continue to enhance global food 
security by assisting small-scale farmers, increasing yields, putting 
more food on families' tables, and then selling more food in the 
market.
  Our bill is about partnering with hardworking farmers who are mostly 
women to make them more successful. It helps to provide them access to 
the knowledge, the tools, the markets, and the business opportunities 
because when a woman farmer succeeds, her children and family are 
healthier, and they are more likely to succeed.
  H.R. 5656 is leveraging a unique partnership with NGOs, private 
sector businesses, educational institutions, and faith-based groups.
  Three Minnesota-based businesses--Land O' Lakes, General Mills, and

[[Page H9027]]

Cargill--are already partnering with Feed the Future. In fact, General 
Mills CEO Ken Powell said: ``We are hungry to help the farmer in Malawi 
who, by selling her crop, will generate the money needed to support her 
family and pay for her children to go to school.''
  So the bottom line is, we cannot sit by and do nothing as 800 million 
hungry people suffer and far too many die from malnutrition. As mothers 
and fathers are forced to watch their children go hungry, we can do 
something.
  Human dignity, decency, and our own national security demands that we 
support and sustain this important investment in agricultural 
development and nutrition.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support the Global Food Security Act.
  Once again, I would like to thank Chris Smith, Chairman Royce, 
Ranking Member Engel, Representative Bass, and all of our staff--Piero, 
Kelly, Joan, Janice, and Jenn--for all of their work on this bill.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a member of the Committee on 
Ways and Means who is also one of the sponsors of this bill.
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Smith for his 
hard work and bipartisan leadership, and for bringing a very, very 
important issue to the floor, and also for his longtime advocacy for 
lifting people up out of poverty.
  Mr. Speaker, we have heard Members speak on the floor here today very 
bipartisanly in support of H.R. 5656, the Feed the Future Global Food 
Security Act. The Feed the Future Initiative embodies the very best of 
the United States' foreign aid. It is a new approach. It doesn't just 
provide handouts but, instead, provides a hand-up to some of the very 
poorest parts of the world.
  Feed the Future is working to bring sustainable agricultural 
practices to targeted communities around the world to help lift people 
out of extreme poverty. In fact, in 2013, farmers working with the 
program applied these improved techniques to over 4 million hectares of 
land.
  The program's work goes far beyond just increasing yields for farmers 
though, Mr. Speaker. It is introducing an entrepreneurial spirit into 
these communities, a business model, an empowerment model. It is 
increasing family incomes. It is expanding economic growth. And it is 
opening up new trade opportunities.
  This work is also empowering communities to take control of their 
future by building sustainable local economies. As they become more 
reliant on themselves, they become less reliant on government 
assistance. This should always be the goal of our U.S. foreign aid 
programs.
  This program is also leveraging support, as has been mentioned, from 
the private sector, the civil sector, and the research community. This 
targeted approach from all of these sides of the equation and the 
reliance on advanced data and research has allowed them now to achieve 
these cost-effective results. Those results are very impressive so far: 
4.5 million farmers reached, over $98 million in private sector 
investment, $93 million in new local income, and 12.5 million children 
under the age of 5 receiving very important nutrition programs.
  We need to continue to build upon the successes of the Feed the 
Future Initiative in our efforts to end global poverty. There is no 
doubt that programs like this are driving a new pathway in foreign aid 
and bringing along life-changing results.
  I want to recognize the bipartisan work that is going on in Congress, 
along with the leadership also of Dr. Raj Shah at USAID, so that we can 
continue to help so many.
  I ask all of my colleagues to support this very bipartisan 
legislation and the Feed the Future Initiative.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts, Representative Jim McGovern, the cochair of the Anti-
Hunger Caucus, who is a real champion for food security not only here 
domestically but also internationally.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me the time and for his leadership on these important issues.
  I also want to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey, 
Chris Smith, and the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Betty McCollum, for 
their leadership in bringing this important bill before the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise in support of H.R. 5656, the 
Feed the Future Global Food Security Act of 2014. I remember in 2008 
when our former colleague from Missouri, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, 
and I sat down with researchers from the GAO to talk about how our 
global food security programs could be improved and made more 
effective. Their advice was simple: Create a comprehensive government-
wide strategy.
  I want my House colleagues to know that it was State Department and 
USAID officials under President George W. Bush who were the first to 
brainstorm about how to undertake such a comprehensive approach to 
global food security. And then in 2009, we were lucky enough to have 
Raj Shah, with his deep experience in agricultural development, 
evaluation, and analysis, take the helm at USAID. And most of all, we 
had Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, who understood the 
importance of tackling agriculture and nutrition in a comprehensive 
fashion in order to increase food security, strengthen small farmers, 
empower women, and develop local and regional agricultural markets.
  Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill helps codify and institutionalize 
one of our most important and effective global food security programs, 
Feed the Future, and its related nutrition and agricultural development 
programs. These programs have a proven track record of success. I want 
to thank all of the NGOs and private sector partners that have brought 
these programs to life on the ground.
  I have been engaged on global hunger, child nutrition, and food 
security issues for the past 18 years. I have never been more hopeful 
that the U.S. is finally pursuing a strategy that works and can make a 
difference.
  Increasing the ability of nations to feed their own people, care for 
the nutritional needs of their children, increase incomes for their 
farmers, and help them remain on their land is not just a worthy goal, 
it is an attainable one. And H.R. 5656 will ensure that the U.S. stays 
on that course. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would say to my colleagues that global 
hunger, I believe, is essentially a political condition. We have the 
leadership capability, we have the resources, we have the ability to 
end global hunger. What we need is the political will.
  I urge my colleagues, as they support this legislation, to reflect 
upon the success story of Feed the Future, and let's amplify it even 
more. This program works. It deserves our support.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, the Feed the Future Initiative 
has been successful in alleviating food insecurity over the last 4 
years. This important bill authorizes this proven approach to food 
security. It is a moral, economic, and security imperative that we 
continue the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
  I think we all need to be thankful for the heart that has gone in 
here from our colleagues. Certainly we want to thank the gentleman from 
New Jersey, Chris Smith, and the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Betty 
McCollum. Their hearts have been in this and fighting for this. They 
brought us all together. We appreciate that.
  And with that, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time.
  First of all, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Vargas) for his leadership. This truly is a bipartisan bill. I want to 
again say how grateful I am to the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Betty 
McCollum, to be working with her and her staff. Our staffs are all 
trying to make sure we have a bill that will make a huge difference not 
only in putting our arms around the existing program but in 
strengthening it and taking it to the next level.
  I do want to point out that this is about a whole of government 
strategy:

[[Page H9028]]

all in on the part of the U.S. Government so that everyone is working 
on all six cylinders to make sure that sustainable development occurs 
throughout the world in target countries and, as those targets 
increase, that it is totally inclusive of women.
  When we worked on issues like microtargeting, we found--particularly 
in most parts of Africa--that women have really stepped up to the plate 
and have done yeoman's work. They are fully included in this effort.
  Again, I want to thank all of my colleagues. I want to thank the 
leadership, the gentleman from California, Kevin McCarthy, and Speaker 
Boehner, for making sure that this legislation got to the floor. Our 
hope is that the Senate may take it up. If not, we will be right back 
here next year. But I do hope that they will take it up because delay 
is denial. This is an important piece of legislation that will save 
lives.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stewart). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5656, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United States foreign 
assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and hunger, 
achieve food security and improved nutrition, promote sustainable 
agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional outcomes, 
especially for women and children, build resilience among vulnerable 
populations, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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