[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 10241-10246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2115
                    GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 1252) to authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United 
States foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global 
poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote 
inclusive, sustainable, agriculturalled economic growth, improve 
nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build 
resilience among vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1252

       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 
     2016''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of 
     the United Nations (referred to in this section as the 
     ``FAO''), 805,000,000 people worldwide suffer from chronic 
     hunger. Hunger and malnutrition rob people of health and 
     productive lives and stunt the mental and physical 
     development of future generations.
       (2) According to the January 2014 ``Worldwide Threat 
     Assessment of the US Intelligence Community''--
       (A) the ``[l]ack of adequate food will be a destabilizing 
     factor in countries important to US national security that do 
     not have the financial or technical abilities to solve their 
     internal food security problems''; and
       (B) ``[f]ood and nutrition insecurity in weakly governed 
     countries might also provide opportunities for insurgent 
     groups to capitalize on poor conditions, exploit 
     international food aid, and discredit governments for their 
     inability to address basic needs''.
       (3) A comprehensive approach to sustainable food and 
     nutrition security should not only respond to emergency food 
     shortages, but should also address malnutrition, resilience 
     to food and nutrition insecurity, building the capacity of 
     poor, rural populations to improve their agricultural 
     productivity and incomes, removing institutional impediments 
     to agricultural development, value chain access and 
     efficiency, including processing and storage, enhancing 
     agribusiness development, access to markets and activities 
     that address the specific needs and barriers facing women and 
     small-scale producers, education, and collaborative research.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national 
     interest of the United States to promote global food 
     security, resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national 
     food security investment plans, which is reinforced through 
     programs, activities, and initiatives that--
       (1) place food insecure countries on a path toward self-
     sufficiency and economic freedom through the coordination of 
     United States foreign assistance programs;
       (2) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth 
     that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, 
     particularly among women and children;
       (3) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of 
     small-scale producers, especially women, by working across 
     agricultural value chains, enhancing local capacity to manage 
     agricultural resources effectively and expanding producer 
     access to local and international markets;
       (4) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable 
     populations and households while reducing reliance upon 
     emergency food assistance;
       (5) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth 
     and investment, including through the promotion of secure and 
     transparent property rights;
       (6) 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;
       (7) demonstrably meet, align with and leverage broader 
     United States strategies and investments in trade, economic 
     growth, national security, science and technology, 
     agriculture research and extension, maternal and child 
     health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene;
       (8) continue to strengthen partnerships between United 
     States-based universities, including land-grant colleges, and 
     universities and institutions in target countries and 
     communities that build agricultural capacity; and
       (9) 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;
       (2) seek to fully utilize the unique capabilities of each 
     relevant Federal department and agency while collaborating 
     with and leveraging the contributions of other key 
     stakeholders; and
       (3) utilize open and streamlined solicitations to allow for 
     the participation of a wide range of implementing partners 
     through the most appropriate procurement mechanisms, which 
     may include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and 
     other instruments as necessary and appropriate.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) 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.
       (2) 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.
       (3) 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.
       (4) Global food security strategy.--The term ``Global Food 
     Security Strategy'' means the strategy developed and 
     implemented pursuant to section 5(a).
       (5) Key stakeholders.--The term ``key stakeholders'' means 
     actors engaged in efforts to advance global food security 
     programs and objectives, including--
       (A) relevant Federal departments and agencies;
       (B) national and local governments in target countries;
       (C) other bilateral donors;
       (D) international and regional organizations;
       (E) international, regional, and local financial 
     institutions;
       (F) international, regional, and local private voluntary, 
     nongovernmental, faith-based, and civil society 
     organizations;
       (G) the private sector, including agribusinesses and 
     relevant commodities groups;
       (H) agricultural producers, including farmer organizations, 
     cooperatives, small-scale producers, and women; and
       (I) agricultural research and academic institutions, 
     including land-grant universities and extension services.
       (6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor 
     nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or 
     excess.
       (7) 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

[[Page 10242]]

     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.
       (8) 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.
       (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.
       (10) Stunting.--The term ``stunting'' refers to a condition 
     that--
       (A) is measured by a height-to-age ratio that is more than 
     2 standard deviations below the median for the population;
       (B) manifests in children who are younger than 2 years of 
     age;
       (C) is a process that can continue in children after they 
     reach 2 years of age, resulting in an individual being 
     ``stunted'';
       (D) is a sign of chronic malnutrition; and
       (E) can lead to long-term poor health, delayed motor 
     development, impaired cognitive function, and decreased 
     immunity.
       (11) Sustainable.--The term ``sustainable'' means the 
     ability of a target country, community, implementing partner, 
     or intended beneficiary to maintain, over time, the programs 
     authorized and outcomes achieved pursuant to this Act.
       (12) Target country.--The term ``target country'' means a 
     developing country that is selected to participate in 
     agriculture and nutrition security programs under the Global 
     Food Security Strategy pursuant to the selection criteria 
     described in section 5(a)(2), including criteria such as the 
     potential for agriculture-led economic growth, government 
     commitment to agricultural investment and policy reform, 
     opportunities for partnerships and regional synergies, the 
     level of need, and resource availability.

     SEC. 5. 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 3(a), which shall--
       (1) set specific and measurable goals, benchmarks, 
     timetables, performance metrics, and monitoring and 
     evaluation plans that reflect international best practices 
     relating to transparency, accountability, food and nutrition 
     security, and agriculture-led economic growth, consistent 
     with the policy objectives described in section 3(a);
       (2) establish clear and transparent selection criteria for 
     target countries, communities, regions, and intended 
     beneficiaries of assistance;
       (3) describe the methodology and criteria for the selection 
     of target countries;
       (4) support and be aligned with country-owned agriculture, 
     nutrition, and food security policy and investment plans 
     developed with input from key stakeholders, as appropriate;
       (5) support inclusive agricultural value chain development, 
     with small-scale producers, especially women, gaining greater 
     access to the inputs, skills, resource management capacity, 
     networking, bargaining power, financing, and market linkages 
     needed to sustain their long-term economic prosperity;
       (6) support improvement of the nutritional status of women 
     and children, particularly during the critical first 1,000-
     day window until a child reaches 2 years of age and with a 
     focus on reducing child stunting, through nutrition-specific 
     and nutrition-sensitive programs, including related water, 
     sanitation, and hygiene programs;
       (7) facilitate communication and collaboration, as 
     appropriate, among local stakeholders in support of a multi-
     sectoral approach to food and nutrition security, to include 
     analysis of the multiple underlying causes of malnutrition, 
     including lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation, 
     and hygiene;
       (8) support the long-term success of programs by building 
     the capacity of local organizations and institutions in 
     target countries and communities;
       (9) integrate resilience and nutrition strategies into food 
     security programs, such that chronically vulnerable 
     populations are better able to build safety nets, secure 
     livelihoods, access markets, and access opportunities for 
     longer-term economic growth;
       (10) develop community and producer resilience to natural 
     disasters, emergencies, and natural occurrences that 
     adversely impact agricultural yield;
       (11) harness science, technology, and innovation, including 
     the research and extension activities supported by relevant 
     Federal Departments and agencies and Feed the Future 
     Innovation Labs, or any successor entities;
       (12) integrate agricultural development activities among 
     food insecure populations living in proximity to designated 
     national parks or wildlife areas into wildlife conservation 
     efforts, as necessary and appropriate;
       (13) leverage resources and expertise through partnerships 
     with the private sector, farm organizations, cooperatives, 
     civil society, faith-based organizations, and agricultural 
     research and academic institutions;
       (14) strengthen and expand collaboration between United 
     States universities, including public, private, and land-
     grant universities, with higher education institutions in 
     target countries to increase their effectiveness and 
     relevance to promote agricultural development and innovation 
     through the creation of human capital, innovation, and 
     cutting edge science in the agricultural sector;
       (15) seek to ensure that target countries and communities 
     respect and promote land tenure rights of local communities, 
     particularly those of women and small-scale producers;
       (16) include criteria and methodologies for graduating 
     target countries and communities from assistance provided to 
     implement the Global Food Security Strategy as such countries 
     and communities meet the progress benchmarks identified 
     pursuant to section 8(b)(4); and
       (17) demonstrably support the United States national 
     security and economic interest in the countries where 
     assistance is being provided.
       (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;
       (2) establishing linkages with other initiatives and 
     strategies of relevant Federal departments and agencies; and
       (3) establishing platforms for regular consultation and 
     collaboration with key stakeholders and the appropriate 
     congressional committees.
       (c) Strategy Submission.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2016, the 
     President, in consultation with the head of each relevant 
     Federal department and agency, shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees the Global Food Security 
     Strategy required under this section, including a detailed 
     description of how the United States intends to advance the 
     objectives set forth in section 3(a) and the agency-specific 
     plans described in paragraph (2).
       (2) Agency-specific plans.--The Global Food Security 
     Strategy shall include specific implementation plans from 
     each relevant Federal department and agency that describes--
       (A) the anticipated contributions of the department or 
     agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind 
     contributions, to implement the Global Food Security 
     Strategy; and
       (B) the efforts of the department or agency to ensure that 
     the activities and programs carried out pursuant to the 
     strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term 
     sustainability.

     SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 
                   STRATEGY.

       (a) Food Shortages.--The President is authorized to carry 
     out activities pursuant to 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.) to prevent or address food 
     shortages notwithstanding any other provision of law.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of State and the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development $1,000,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 and 
     2018 to carry out those portions of the Global Food Security 
     Strategy that relate to the Department of State and the 
     United States Agency for International Development, 
     respectively.
       (c) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The President shall 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.

     SEC. 7. EMERGENCY FOOD SECURITY PROGRAM.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the crisis in Syria, which is characterized by acts of 
     terrorism and atrocities directed against civilians, 
     including mass murder, forced displacement, aerial 
     bombardment, ethnic and religious persecution, torture, 
     kidnapping, rape and sexual enslavement, has triggered one of 
     the most profound humanitarian crises of this century and 
     poses a direct threat to regional security and the national 
     security interests of the United States;
       (2) it is in the national security interests of the United 
     States to respond to the needs of displaced Syrian persons 
     and the communities hosting such persons, including with food 
     assistance; and
       (3) after four years of conflict in Syria and the onset of 
     other major humanitarian emergencies where, like Syria, the 
     provision of

[[Page 10243]]

     certain United States humanitarian assistance has been 
     particularly challenging, including the 2013 super-typhoon in 
     the Philippines, the 2014 outbreak of Ebola in west Africa, 
     the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, ongoing humanitarian disasters 
     in Yemen and South Sudan, and the threat of a major El Nino 
     event in 2016, United States international disaster 
     assistance has become severely stressed.
       (b) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the 
     United States, in coordination with other donors, regional 
     governments, international organizations, and international 
     financial institutions, to fully leverage, enhance, and 
     expand the impact and reach of available United States 
     humanitarian resources, including for food assistance, to 
     mitigate the effects of manmade and natural disasters by 
     utilizing innovative new approaches to delivering aid that 
     support affected persons and the communities hosting them, 
     build resilience and early recovery, and reduce opportunities 
     for waste, fraud, and abuse.
       (c) Amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.--
       (1) Section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2292) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(c) Emergency Food Security Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to the limitations in section 
     492, and notwithstanding any other provision of this or any 
     other Act, the President is authorized to make available 
     emergency food assistance, including in the form of funds, 
     transfers, vouchers, and agricultural commodities (including 
     products derived from agricultural commodities) acquired 
     through local or regional procurement, to meet emergency food 
     needs arising from manmade and natural disasters.
       ``(2) Designation.--Funds made available under this 
     subsection shall be known as the `International Disaster 
     Assistance - Emergency Food Security Program'.''.
       (2) Section 492 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2292a) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``$25,000,000 for the 
     fiscal year 1986 and $25,000,000 for the fiscal year 1987.'' 
     and inserting ``$2,794,184,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 
     and 2018, of which up to $1,257,382,000 should be made 
     available to carry out section 491(c).''; and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
     subsections:
       ``(c) Amounts in Addition to Other Amounts.--Amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated pursuant to the authorizations 
     of appropriations under section 491(c) are in addition to 
     funds otherwise available for such purposes.
       ``(d) Flexibility.--
       ``(1) United states policy.--It is the policy of the United 
     States that the funds made available to carry out section 491 
     are intended to provide the President with the greatest 
     possible flexibility to address disaster-related needs as 
     they arise and to prepare for and reduce the impact of 
     natural and man-made disasters.
       ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     any amendments to applicable legal provisions contained in 
     this Act are not intended to limit such authorities.
       ``(e) Report.--Not later than March 1 of each fiscal year, 
     the President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report that 
     describes the activities undertaken by the President over the 
     course of the prior fiscal year pursuant to section 491(c), 
     including the amounts of assistance provided, intended 
     beneficiaries, monitoring and evaluation strategies, 
     anticipated outcomes, and, as practicable, actual 
     outcomes.''.

     SEC. 8. REPORTS.

       (a) Global Food Security Strategy Implementation Reports.--
     Not later than 1 year and 2 years after the date of the 
     submission of the strategy required under section 5(c), the 
     President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees reports that describe the status of the 
     implementation of the Global Food Security Strategy for 2017 
     and 2018, which 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) describe the progress made in implementing the Global 
     Food Security Strategy;
       (4) identify the indicators used to establish benchmarks 
     and measure results over time, as well as the mechanisms for 
     reporting such results in an open and transparent manner;
       (5) describe related strategies and benchmarks for 
     graduating target countries and communities from assistance 
     provided under the Global Food Security Strategy over time, 
     including by building resilience, reducing risk, and 
     enhancing the sustainability of outcomes from United States 
     investments in agriculture and nutrition security;
       (6) indicate how findings from monitoring and evaluation 
     were incorporated into program design and budget decisions;
       (7) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of 
     spending by relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
     implement the Global Food Security Strategy, including, for 
     each Federal department and agency, the statutory source of 
     spending, amounts spent, implementing partners and targeted 
     beneficiaries, and activities supported to the extent 
     practicable and appropriate;
       (8) describe how the Global Food Security Strategy 
     leverages other United States food security and development 
     assistance programs on the continuum from emergency food aid 
     through sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth and 
     eventual self-sufficiency;
       (9) describe the contributions of the Global Food Security 
     Strategy to, and assess the impact of, broader international 
     food and nutrition security assistance programs, including 
     progress in the promotion of land tenure rights, creating 
     economic opportunities for women and small-scale producers, 
     and stimulating agriculture-led economic growth in target 
     countries and communities;
       (10) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
     international food security and nutrition programs, 
     activities, and initiatives with key stakeholders;
       (11) assess United States Government-facilitated private 
     investment in related sectors and the impact of private 
     sector investment in target countries and communities;
       (12) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
     impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation 
     of the programming referred to in paragraphs (8) and (9);
       (13) contain a clear gender analysis of programming, to 
     inform project-level activities, that includes established 
     disaggregated gender indicators to better analyze outcomes 
     for food productivity, income growth, control of assets, 
     equity in access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition; 
     and
       (14) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and 
     updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
     lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders in an open, 
     transparent manner.
       (b) Global Food Security Crosscut Report.--Not later than 
     120 days after the President submits the budget to Congress 
     under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the 
     Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
     including--
       (1) an interagency budget crosscut report that--
       (A) displays the budget proposed, including any planned 
     interagency or intra-agency transfer, for each of the 
     principal Federal agencies that carries out global food 
     security activities in the upcoming fiscal year, separately 
     reporting the amount of planned funding to be provided under 
     existing laws pertaining to the global food security strategy 
     to the extent available; and
       (B) to the extent available, identifies all assistance and 
     research expenditures at the account level in each of the 
     five prior fiscal years by the Federal Government and United 
     States multilateral commitments using Federal funds for 
     global food security strategy activities;
       (2) to the extent available, a detailed accounting of all 
     assistance funding received and obligated by the principal 
     Federal agencies identified in the report and United States 
     multilateral commitments using Federal funds, for global food 
     security activities during the current fiscal year; and
       (3) a breakout of the proposed budget for the current and 
     budget years by agency, categorizing expenditures by type of 
     funding, including research, resiliency, and other food 
     security activities to the extent that such information is 
     available.
       (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information 
     referred to in subsections (a) and (b) shall be made 
     available on the public website of the United States Agency 
     for International Development in an open, machine readable 
     format, in a timely manner.

     SEC. 9. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

       (a) Effect on Other Programs.--Nothing in the Global Food 
     Security Strategy or this Act or the amendments made by this 
     Act shall be construed to supersede or otherwise affect the 
     authority of the relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
     carry out programs specified in subsection (b), in the manner 
     provided, and subject to the terms and conditions, of those 
     programs, including, but not limited to, the terms, 
     conditions, and requirements relating to the procurement and 
     transportation of food assistance furnished pursuant to such 
     programs.
       (b) Programs Described.--The programs referred to in 
     subsection (a) are the following:
       (1) The Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.).
       (2) The Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o).
       (3) Section 416(b) of the Agriculture Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
     1431).
       (4) McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program (7 
     U.S.C.1736o-1).
       (5) Local and Regional Procurement Program (7 U.S.C. 
     1726c).
       (6) Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act (7 U.S.C. 1736f-1).

[[Page 10244]]

       (7) Any other food and nutrition security and emergency and 
     non-emergency food assistance program of the Department of 
     Agriculture.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
any extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Global Food Security 
Act.
  The Global Food Security Act, led by Representatives Smith and 
McCollum, establishes very clear priorities for and enhances the 
transparency of existing, yet unauthorized, food security and disaster 
assistance programs.
  What this does is it authorizes, for the first time in 30 years, 
International Disaster Assistance, the essential humanitarian account 
that provides everything from tents and sheeting to water and medicine 
for people afflicted by conflict and hit by natural disasters around 
the globe.
  It authorizes, for the first time, the Emergency Food Security 
Program, which is the flexible, efficient, and effective food aid 
program that helps refugees when and where they need it most so they 
won't be forced to seek refuge in Europe or beyond.
  Finally, with an eye toward the future, it advances policies which 
will improve food security, stimulate economic growth, and better 
enable people to grow their own way out of poverty so they will no 
longer have to depend upon U.S. foreign assistance. It does this 
without increasing spending, Mr. Speaker.
  The legislation before us is the product of more than 3 years of 
careful deliberation and inclusive negotiations. The Foreign Affairs 
Committee has held multiple hearings on food security. We marked and 
reported not one, but two earlier versions, H.R. 5656 and H.R. 1567. 
The House passed each of these bills with broad bipartisan support. I 
want to thank our ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel of New York, for his 
assistance in all of this work.
  This bill, S. 1252, maintains all of the provisions the House 
previously approved, while filling a critical gap. By adding 
International Disaster Assistance and the Emergency Food Security 
Program, S. 1252 brings the bill full cycle and enables Congress to 
conduct effective oversight of the full range of international food 
security programs from disaster to resilience, to development, to 
trade. At the same time, it adds even more transparency requirements so 
that we can eliminate duplication and we can eliminate the waste.
  So I want to thank Mr. Smith also for his leadership on this 
important legislation, and I urge Members to help get it to the 
President's desk without further delay.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. I am very 
proud that we are about to take our final step on the Global Food 
Security Act and send it to the President's desk.
  I want to thank Representatives Smith and McCollum for their hard 
work on this issue here in the House, as well as Senators Casey and 
Corker for steering this effort in the other body. I also want to thank 
our chairman, Ed Royce, as always, for his leadership. This is another 
great example of bipartisan, commonsense cooperation on foreign policy 
issues.
  Mr. Speaker, nearly 800 million people around the world live without 
the certainty that their families will have enough to eat. When 
children don't make it to the age of 5, half the time it is because of 
malnutrition. That is just heartbreaking. There is more than enough 
food on this planet to feed everyone. The idea that so many are 
starving is simply unconscionable.
  It is also a major roadblock for countries and communities. Underfed 
populations are less productive and more vulnerable to disease. Without 
reliable access to food, it is much harder for a country to achieve 
stability and prosperity. So we have an interest--and a moral 
obligation--in trying to tackle this problem as part of our foreign 
policy.
  This bill places a special priority on foreign assistance programs 
that aim to reduce global poverty and hunger. It also authorizes a 
robust investment in the Obama administration's signature Feed the 
Future initiative as well as other State Department and USAID efforts 
dealing with global hunger.
  This bill has moved forward with tremendous bipartisan support, and I 
am glad to cast one final vote for it today. I support this bill. I 
urge my colleagues to do the same. I thank Chairman Royce once again.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 8 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Conaway), chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, for the 
purpose of a colloquy.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  The rule of construction under section 9 affirms that nothing in this 
act, or amendments made by this act, will supersede or otherwise affect 
the authority of a relevant Federal department or agency to carry out a 
number of vital international food aid programs, including Food for 
Peace, Food for Progress, USDA's Local and Regional Food Aid 
Procurement Program, the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Program, the 
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition 
Program, or any other emergency or non-emergency food aid program of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  Is it the gentleman from California's understanding that this rule of 
construction applies equally to all parts of the bill, including 
section 7, which authorizes an Emergency Food Security Program, or 
EFSP?
  I yield to the gentleman from California for his response.
  Mr. ROYCE. That is correct. The rule of construction under section 9 
of the Global Food Security Act--which was carefully negotiated with 
the chairman of the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture, the 
House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Foreign 
Relations--applies equally to all parts of the bill. This includes 
section 7, which authorizes the existing International Disaster 
Assistance-funded Emergency Food Security Program.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Reclaiming my time, is it also the gentleman's 
understanding that the ``notwithstanding authority'' granted to the 
Emergency Food Security Program will not in any way affect the existing 
requirements under the Food for Peace Act, including requirements 
relating to the purchase and shipment of U.S. agriculture commodities 
under this act?
  I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. ROYCE. Correct. The committee has conferred with the Government 
Accountability Office and received its confirmation that 
``notwithstanding authority'' cannot migrate to other provisions of 
law.
  For example, funds provided to carry out the Food for Peace Act are 
subject to the requirements of the Food for Peace Act and funds 
provided to carry out the International Disaster Assistance/Emergency 
Food Security Program are subject to the requirements of the Foreign 
Assistance Act. Neither the funds nor the authorities for these 
programs are interchangeable.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Reclaiming my time, does the committee chairman agree 
that the Food for Peace program, which is wholly separate from the bill 
we are debating on the floor today, is vital to U.S. efforts to respond 
to emergencies and alleviate global hunger? Does the gentleman also 
agree that the provision of U.S. agriculture commodities through the 
Food for Peace program has saved millions of lives, and that the U.S. 
agriculture commodities

[[Page 10245]]

must remain a significant part of U.S. international food aid programs?
  I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. ROYCE. Yes. Through the Food for Peace program, the United States 
has reached more than a billion people around the globe in times of 
need, reducing poverty and improving food security in the process. 
American farmers are rightfully proud of this legacy. Unfortunately, 
ever-growing world crises have stressed our international food aid, 
leading us to look to new approaches that will help us stretch our food 
aid dollars further and, ultimately, save more lives.
  The Global Food Security Act authorizes one of these approaches--the 
International Disaster Assistance/Emergency Food Security Program--to 
provide electronic transfers, vouchers, and locally procured food to 
help desperate people meet their needs in the wake of disasters or war.
  This program is meant to complement, not replace, time-tested 
approaches to delivering food aid, including the Food for Peace 
program. Like the gentleman from Texas, I have had an opportunity to 
see how the Emergency Food Security Program works in places like 
Jordan, where humanitarian organizations are working to meet the needs 
of Syrian refugees.
  While the world may be changing rapidly, one thing will never change: 
the American farmer will always play a significant role in promoting 
food security at home and abroad. U.S. agricultural commodities will 
always be in demand and will always remain a part of the Food for Peace 
program. While the two of us may differ on the specific degree to which 
they should be, I have no doubt that this principle will be reflected 
in the next farm bill.
  In the meantime, I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas for 
his continued leadership on this issue, including his efforts to ensure 
that the vast expertise and experience of the U.S. agriculture 
community will be fully leveraged through the Global Food Security Act. 
I look forward to continuing our close collaboration on these important 
matters, and I appreciate his support for this important legislation.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Reclaiming my time, I appreciate the gentleman from 
California for his continued work on this important matter, 
particularly his recognition of the crucial role that the Agriculture 
Committee must play in any global food security strategy.
  As he rightly points out, programs like EFSP should be used in tandem 
with the time-tested Food for Peace program. It should not serve as a 
step towards eliminating the donation of U.S. commodities abroad.
  I look forward to closely monitoring the progress of this strategy 
and developing a better understanding of how our foreign assistance 
dollars are being used.
  I thank the gentleman for his extended colloquy and patience with the 
Committee on Agriculture's concerns with the bill. I thank him for that 
consideration and I look forward to supporting this bill.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the proverb, ``If you give a man a 
fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him 
for the rest of his life.''
  That is the aim of our food assistance efforts. We want to help 
populations to feed themselves. We want to get at the root causes of 
poverty and malnutrition. We want to help build strong, sustainable 
communities that contribute to stability and prosperity in their 
countries, across regions, and around the world.
  We need to invest in the initiatives that have made a difference. 
That is what we are doing here by authorizing strong support for Feed 
the Future and working to ramp up other foreign assistance efforts 
focusing on food aid.
  This is a good bill. This is Congress at its best. This is 
bipartisanship at its best. I am glad we are sending it to the 
President's desk. This was done, really, as a collaborative effort by 
both sides of the aisle. I thank my colleagues again for their good 
work on this, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the link between conflict and hunger is undeniable. Mr. 
Engel and I recently traveled to Sub-Saharan Africa to a drought-
stricken region, Ethiopia, where more than 10.2 million people are on 
the verge of what I would designate as ``starvation,'' yet no one 
really used that word or used the word ``famine'' because of the 
concern that it might provoke a coup.

                              {time}  2130

  But the reality is that this is the situation on the ground. And at 
the same time, massive humanitarian disasters in Syria and Yemen, in 
South Sudan, have sparked these massive refugee flows. They threaten 
regional security. All told, there are currently 800 million people 
suffering from chronic hunger, and over 60 million people displaced by 
conflict, who desperately need our help.
  It is in our national security and economic interest to help address 
these needs, to meet humanitarian needs while supporting the growth of 
healthier, more stable societies through cost-effective programs that 
promote agriculture-led economic growth, that open markets for U.S. 
investment and trade, that promote food and nutrition security, and, 
ultimately, that break the cycle of dependence on aid. The Global Food 
Security Act can help.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1252, the 
``Global Food Security Act of 2015,'' which requires the President to 
develop and implement a Global Food Security Strategy to reduce hunger 
and maintain global food security and nutrition.
  Even in an age of globalization and industrialization, hunger and 
food security remain fundamental impediments to global wellbeing.
  According to UN estimates, 795 people currently live undernourished 
lives, with 12.9 percent of the population of underdeveloped countries 
living without proper nutrition and 3.1 million children under the age 
of five dying of malnutrition every year.
  Moreover, with the world's natural resources and biodiversity rapidly 
degrading, global food security continues to be threatened, as one of 
the global economy's most crucial driving forces, agriculture, 
continues to suffer globally, and particularly in underdeveloped 
states.
   Even as the threats of hunger and food instability loom, the 
necessity of global food security remains, as solutions to global food 
issues also represent instrumental steps to poverty eradication and 
economic growth.
  In an age where food concerns plague underdeveloped nations and 
largely industrialized international powers alike, moreover, it is more 
important than ever to remain committed to proven food initiatives and 
measures of global food assistance.
  In particular, the Food Security Act specifies the importance of 
promoting activities and programs that strive to promote global food 
security, resilience, and nutrition.
  These measures include programs that:
  1. place food insecure countries on a path toward self-sufficiency by 
coordinating U.S. assistance programs;
  2. accelerate agricultural and economic growth in a manner that 
reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition;
  3. increase the productivity and livelihoods of small-scale 
producers;
  4. build resilience to food shocks in vulnerable populations;
  5. create an environment for agricultural growth and investment;
  6. improve the nutritional status of women and children globally;
  7. align with existing U.S. strategies and investments to achieve 
these objectives;
  8. and strengthen relationships between U.S. and foreign universities 
that contribute to agricultural growth.
  In addition, this measure specifies that the President must 
coordinate a comprehensive government strategy to promote global food 
security by coordinating across federal departments and agencies to 
provide assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prevent 
or address food shortages.
  The President's annual report to Congress on the implementation of 
these specifications and measures will enable continued monitoring and 
evaluation of the success of these strategies.
  This measure is integral to restoring global food security, and 
represents a vital step in the global war against world hunger.
  I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass S. 1252.

[[Page 10246]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 1252.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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