Providing For Consideration of H.R. 1886, Pakistan Enduring Assistance And Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009, And Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 And 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. MCGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 2410. I especially want to express my appreciation to the Chairman, Members and staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for crafting a bill that will allow the State Department and our embassies around the world to close the diplomacy gap and carry out their missions more effectively.

I especially wish to thank Chairman BERMAN and his staff for working with me to include language in the managers' amendment to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to address global hunger and food security, issues very close to my heart and also a priority for the Committee.

A wide range of federal departments and agencies have jurisdiction over policies and programs addressing global hunger and food security, often lacking coordination and a coherent vision. A comprehensive strategy will increase the impact of the resources we invest in these programs and ensure that U.S. policies and programs contribute in a more substantial way to reducing global hunger and increasing food security around the world.

Advancing such goals is not just a humanitarian and development priority, it also strengthens our national security. Every child who receives a meal in school, every farmer who can make a decent living from the land, every mother who raises a well-nourished child, every family that has hope for the future creates a more stable country, region and world, less prone to recruitment by those who would sow terror or the exploitation of old hatreds and prejudice.

I salute the Chairman and the Committee for including this provision in the managers' amendment and in the House bill.

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