Confronting An Unprecedented Food Security Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the world is confronting an unprecedented food security crisis. The World Food Program reports that a record 349 million people across 79 countries face acute food insecurity.

The COVID-19 pandemic flattened economies, fractured supply chains, and caused huge spikes in inflation. Then came Russia's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's most important breadbaskets.

During Global Child Nutrition Month, I am not just hopeful that tackling these challenges is possible; I am confident that we can. That is because the U.S. Government, our farmers, and NGOs have responded to the crisis with historic investments, expanding global food, nutrition, and agricultural programs, including Food For Peace, McGovern-Dole, Feed the Future, USAID's nutrition, maternal and child health programs, and the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to turn on the news and become overwhelmed, but the U.S. has not only been ready to provide support to those who are hungry, we have been at the forefront. Each of these proven programs deserves our support, and I call upon my colleagues to increase funding for these programs in the annual appropriations bills. There are lives in the balance. We can end hunger now.

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