[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)).
                                 ______