Motion to Discharge--S. Res. 195

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, the call to feed the world has been answered by many Kansans, from farmers and ranchers to Senator Bob Dole and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. American farmers are linked to global markets and, by extension, to the well-being of people everywhere.

Two of our Nation's most successful programs for delivering American- grown food to the hungry around the world are Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, both rooted in my State of Kansas.

At the recommendation of a Kansas farmer way out in Northwest Kansas, Kansas Senator Andrew Schoeppel introduced the Food for Peace Act in the Senate to purchase commodity surpluses to feed the hungry around the world. It was signed into law by another Kansan, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1954. Later, Senator Dole became the key champion of its reauthorization. Since its creation, Food for Peace has reached more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries using American-grown commodities.

Another food aid program, the McGovern-Dole Program, was established in 2002 through the farm bill. It originated from the partnership between Senator Bob Dole of Kansas and Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. Since the beginning, McGovern-Dole has delivered more than 5.5 billion school meals to children around the globe.

The mission of these programs is more urgent now than ever. In 2023, more than 735 million people around the world faced chronic hunger. That is 1 out of every 10 people on the planet. Food security also contributes to our national security. When governments cannot feed their own people, chaos and violence often follow. Food assistance provided by the United States leads to greater stability in regions of the world important to America's strategic interests.

Hunger can drive children to join militias or nations to descend into chaos, opening up an opportunity for adversaries to step in and coerce a country for natural resources or military capabilities.

Hunger fuels desperation, and desperation fuels unrest. In the Sahel region of Africa, violent extremism is on the rise. Terrorist groups exploit food insecurity to win recruits and enforce loyalty. Programs like Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole break that cycle.

In Lebanon, where economic collapse has shredded the supply chain, Food for Peace delivered over 100,000 metric tons of wheat last year. In fiscal year 2023, McGovern-Dole provided school meals to more than 2.5 million children in developing countries like Bangladesh, where families fled ethnic cleansing and rely upon rations to survive.

Through these programs, Kansas wheat, Arkansas rice, and Iowa soybeans are feeding the hungry around the world who are facing famine, war, and national instability.

Food for Peace also provides a critical market for our producers. This is an issue that matters to Kansas farmers and farmers around the country. It allows them to sell nearly $2 billion worth of excess commodities every year, so farmers don't have to let the crops go to waste and shoulder the losses.

For years, Food for Peace has been hampered by bureaucratic delays, mismanagement, and abuse within USAID. The inefficiency of USAID hasn't just wasted taxpayer dollars; it has weakened the reach and effectiveness of some of our most vital humanitarian aid programs.

Thanks to its extensive infrastructure and hands-on experience in both domestic and international operations, the USDA is uniquely positioned to manage Food for Peace. In February, I introduced a bill with my colleague from Kansas Senator Marshall and our colleague from North Dakota Senator Hoeven and Representative Tracey Mann--the occupier of the seat in the First District of Kansas--in Congress to move Food for Peace out of USAID and under the Department of Agriculture in an effort to prevent waste and bring the program closer to the farmers who depend upon it.

Right now, USDA runs two highly successful foreign assistance programs and already handles all domestic commodity purchases for Food for Peace Title II.

Most importantly, USDA has the trust of American farmers. They know the Agency. They understand their work, and it can deliver results. I am grateful that USDA Secretary Rollins has expressed a willingness to take on this program and for their commitment to preserving and strengthening the program's mission.

By placing Food for Peace under USDA's authority, we make certain the program can continue to bring revenue to American agriculture producers.

In fiscal year 2023, Food for Peace purchased $713 million worth of U.S.-grown commodities and McGovern Dole purchased another $33 million--both direct investments into rural communities across Kansas and the country.

I cochair the Hunger Caucus in the Senate. I cochaired the Hunger Caucus in the House. I took on that responsibility to try to make a difference. I have seen the differences these programs can make around the world, and I support their continuance, even if it needs to be in a new form.

I often tell farmers in Kansas: Farming is a noble profession. Feeding people is a worthwhile cause, and God gave you a purpose. God gave you, a farmer, a purpose for your life.

It was Kansas farmers who came up with the idea for Food for Peace as a moral and commonsense solution to prevent excess American food from going to waste and using it to feed the hungry across the globe.

For 70 years, the United States of America has made the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world and has made circumstances better for farmers here at home.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source