[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S5390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3624. Mr. RISCH (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2026 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 end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1210. EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES TO EXPAND THE TIMELINESS AND 
                   REACH OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL FOOD 
                   ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary of State is authorized to procure life-
     saving food aid commodities, including commodities available 
     locally and regionally, for the provision of emergency food 
     and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable populations 
     in countries and areas experiencing acute food insecurity.
       (b) Prioritization.--
       (1) In general.--In responding to crises in which emergency 
     food and nutrition commodities are unavailable locally or 
     regionally, or in which the provision of locally or 
     regionally procured emergency food and nutrition commodities 
     would be unsafe, impractical, or inappropriate, the Secretary 
     should prioritize procurements of United States food and 
     nutrition 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 emergency food and nutrition aid 
     commodities pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     State, 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.), 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 
     Secretary of State 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.--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.
       (e) Exclusion.--The authority under subsection (a) shall 
     not apply to procurements from the Russian Federation, the 
     People's Republic of China, or any country subject to 
     sanctions under--
       (1) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2371);
       (2) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
     2780); or
       (3) section 1754(c) of the Export Control Reform Act of 
     2018 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)).
                                 ______