[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 16, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8512-H8513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME AND KANSAS FOOD AID LEGACY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Mann) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the American farmer and 
to deliver the 15th installment of my farm bill impact series.
  The United States is the most food-secure country in the world thanks 
to the strength and determination of American farmers, ranchers, and 
agriculture producers. With America's robust resources, we have been 
committed to ensuring food security at home and around the world, and 
Kansas has been on the cutting edge of that effort for nearly a 
century.
  In September of 1953, Peter O'Brien, a farmer from Cheyenne County, 
Kansas, stood up at his local county farm bureau meeting to share an 
idea. He wanted to use Kansas grain to help hungry people around the 
world. Over the next several months, today's Food for Peace program was 
crafted. The following year, one of Kansas' favorite sons, President 
Dwight D. Eisenhower, signed parts of the program into law. That was 
the beginning of what is now a longstanding Kansas tradition of 
commitment, care, and leadership in the international effort to address 
global hunger.
  Two weeks ago, I hosted David Beasley, the executive director of the 
World Food Programme, in Kansas for an event to thank the American 
farmer. Executive Director Beasley had just been in Egypt, Ethiopia, 
and Rome, but he came to Kansas because he understands the impact that 
farmers in my

[[Page H8513]]

State have had on international food aid. American farmers use their 
resources to feed, fuel, and clothe the world, which is no small task. 
It takes grit, determination, and a strong partnership between the 
public and private sectors. The World Food Programme won the Nobel 
Peace Prize in 2020, and it is the world's largest humanitarian 
organization specializing in using American-grown commodities for 
international food assistance. It is a great example of what we can 
accomplish when public-private partnerships thrive.
  Now, with the 2023 reauthorization of the farm bill upon us, we see 
that the Kansas legacy of international food aid is alive and well. 
Today, our country administers in-kind food assistance primarily 
through farm bill programs, such as the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust 
and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, just to name two. 
These programs have an especially strong return on investment because 
they support American agriculture producers today while greatly 
reducing the need for conflict or war-related dollars tomorrow. In the 
long run, these programs save the American taxpayer money. We know that 
when food rations are accessible in developing countries, conflict 
decreases. International food aid is, therefore, a way to stop wars 
before they start.
  I have the privilege and responsibility of advocating for Kansas' top 
priorities in the farm bill. That means protecting crop insurance, 
promoting trade, and ensuring that any oversight within the bill 
doesn't needlessly handcuff American producers with red tape. Congress 
must also ensure that international food aid programs remain strong in 
the farm bill. Around the world today, hungry people facing starvation 
in emergency situations rely on American farmers, who have provided 
nutrition in the place of starvation, created careers of dignity in the 
place of aimlessness, and secured peace in the place of war.
  I will be back on the floor soon to deliver another installment of my 
farm bill impact series and highlight more programs and titles within 
the bill that I believe Congress must understand and support to ensure 
that agriculture thrives in America. The people who feed, fuel, and 
clothe us all deserve our unwavering support.

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