[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2428-S2429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 265. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title XII, insert the
following:
Subtitle __--Securing Allies Food in Emergencies
SEC. 12_1. SHORT TITLES.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Securing Allies Food in
Emergencies Act'' or the ``SAFE Act''.
SEC. 12_2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to respond to the
looming global food crisis precipitated by the Russian
Federation's brutal, illegal invasion of Ukraine beginning in
February 2022, which threatens to destabilize key partners
and allies and push millions of people into hunger and
poverty, particularly in areas of Africa and the Middle East
that are already experiencing emergency levels of food
insecurity, by taking immediate action to improve the
timeliness and expand the reach of United States
international food assistance.
SEC. 12_3. STRATEGY TO AVERT A GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS.
(a) Strategy Requirement.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, acting in
the capacity of the President's Special Coordinator for
International Disaster Assistance pursuant to section 493 of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292b), shall
develop and submit a strategy to the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives for averting a catastrophic
global food security crisis, particularly in areas of Africa
and the Middle East that are already experiencing emergency
levels of food insecurity, which has been driven by sharp
increases in global prices for staple agricultural
commodities, agricultural inputs (including fertilizer), and
associated energy costs.
(b) Considerations.--In developing the strategy required
under subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider and
incorporate an analysis of--
(1) the impact of the Russian Federation's brutal, illegal
war in Ukraine on the cost and availability of staple
agricultural commodities and inputs, including fertilizer--
(A) globally;
(B) in countries that rely upon commercial imports of such
commodities and inputs from Ukraine or Russia; and
(C) in countries that are supported through the United
Nations World Food Programme, which heavily relies upon
purchases of wheat and pulses from Ukraine and has recently
reported a price increase of more than $23,000,000 per month
for its wheat purchases;
(2) the correlation between rising food costs and social
unrest in areas of strategic
[[Page S2429]]
importance to the United States, including countries and
regions that experienced food riots during the 2007 to 2008
global food price crisis;
(3) the underlying drivers of food insecurity in areas
experiencing emergency levels of hunger, including current
barriers to food security development programs and
humanitarian assistance;
(4) existing United States foreign assistance authorities,
programs, and resources that could help avert a catastrophic
global food crisis;
(5) recommendations to enhance the efficiency, improve the
timeliness, and expand the reach of United States
international food assistance programs and resources referred
to in paragraph (4);
(6) opportunities to bolster coordination, catalyze and
leverage actions by other donors and through multilateral
development banks;
(7) opportunities to better synchronize assistance through
well-coordinated development and humanitarian assistance
programs within the United States Agency for International
Development and alongside other donors;
(8) opportunities to improve supply chain and shipping
logistics efficiencies in close collaboration with the
private sector;
(9) opportunities for increased cooperation with the
Department of State to strengthen diplomatic efforts to
resolve global conflicts and overcome barriers to access for
life-saving assistance;
(10) opportunities to support continued agricultural
production in Ukraine, and the extent to which food produced
in Ukraine can be used to meet humanitarian needs locally,
regionally, or in countries historically reliant upon imports
from Ukraine or Russia; and
(11) opportunities to support and leverage agricultural
production in countries and regions currently supported by
United States international agricultural development
programs, including programs authorized under the Global Food
Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9301 et seq.), in a manner
that--
(A) fills critical gaps in the global supply of emergency
food aid commodities;
(B) enables purchases from small holder farmers by the
United Nations World Food Programme;
(C) enhances resilience to food price shocks;
(D) promotes self-reliance; and
(E) opens opportunities for United States agricultural
trade and investment.
SEC. 12_4. EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES TO EXPAND THE TIMELINESS AND
REACH OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL FOOD
ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Subject to the provisions of this section
and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development is authorized to procure life-saving food aid
commodities, including commodities available locally and
regionally, for the provision of emergency food assistance to
the most vulnerable populations in countries and areas
experiencing acute food insecurity that has been exacerbated
by rising food prices, particularly in countries and areas
historically dependent upon imports of wheat and other staple
commodities from Ukraine and Russia.
(b) Prioritization.--
(1) In general.--In responding to crises in which emergency
food aid commodities are unavailable locally or regionally,
or in which the provision of locally or regionally procured
agricultural commodities would be unsafe, impractical, or
inappropriate, the Administrator should prioritize
procurements of United States agricultural commodities,
including when exercising authorities under section 491 of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292).
(2) Local or regional procurements.--In making local or
regional procurements of food aid commodities pursuant to
subsection (a), the Administrator, to the extent practicable
and appropriate, should prioritize procurements from areas
supported through the international agricultural development
programs authorized under the Global Food Security Act of
2016 (22 U.S.C. 9301 et seq.) and from Ukraine, for the
purpose of promoting economic stability, resilience to price
shocks, and early recovery from such shocks in such areas.
(c) Do No Harm.--In making local or regional procurements
of food aid commodities pursuant to subsection (a), the
Administrator shall first conduct market assessments to
ensure that such procurements--
(1) will not displace United States agricultural trade and
investment; and
(2) will not cause or exacerbate shortages, or otherwise
harm local markets, for such commodities within the countries
of origin.
(d) Emergency Exceptions.--
(1) In general.--Commodities procured pursuant to
subsection (b) shall be excluded from calculations of gross
tonnage for purposes of determining compliance with section
55305(b) of title 46, United States Code.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 55305(b) of title 46,
United States Code, is amended by striking ``shall'' and
inserting ``should''.
(e) Exclusions.--The authority under subsection (a) shall
not apply to procurements from--
(1) the Russian Federation;
(2) the People's Republic of China; or
(3) any country subject to sanctions under--
(A) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2371);
(B) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2780); or
(C) section 1754(c) of the Export Control Reform Act of
2018 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)).
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