During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) spoke about a bill that would transfer authority over the Food for Peace program from USAID to USDA.
00:08A call to feed the world has been answered by many Kansans and farmers and ranchers.
00:16From them, from our farmers and ranchers to Senator Dole, President Eisenhower,
00:22American farmers are linked to global markets and by extension to the well-being of people everywhere.
00:28Two of our nation's most successful programs for delivering American-grown food to the hungry around the world
00:35are Food for Peace and the Dole McGovern Food for Education program, both rooted in my state of Kansas.
00:43At the recommendation of a Kansas farmer way out in northwest Kansas,
00:47Kansas Senator Andy Sheppel introduced the Food for Peace Act in the Senate
00:52to purchase commodity surpluses to feed the hungry around the world.
00:57It was signed into law by another Kansan, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1954.
01:03Later, Senator Dole became the key champion of its reauthorization.
01:08Since its creation, Food for Peace has reached more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries using American-grown commodities.
01:17Another food aid program, the Dole McGovern Program, was established in 2002 through the Farm Bill.
01:24It originated from the partnership between Senator Bob Dole of Kansas and Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.
01:30Since the beginning, the Dole McGovern Act has delivered more than 5.5 billion school meals to children around the globe.
01:39The mission of these programs is more urgent now than ever.
01:43In 2023, more than 735 million people around the world faced chronic hunger.
01:50That's one out of every ten people on the planet.
01:54Food security also contributes to our national security.
01:58When governments cannot feed their own people, chaos and violence often follow.
02:02Food assistance provided by the United States leads to greater stability in regions of the world important to America's strategic interests.
02:10Hunger can drive children to join militias or millions to descend into chaos, opening up an opportunity for adversaries to step in and coerce a country for natural resources or military capabilities.
02:23Hunger fuels desperation and desperation fuels unrest.
02:28In the Sahil region of Africa, violent extremism is on the rise.
02:32Terrorist groups exploit food insecurity and win recruits and enforce loyalty.
02:36Programs like Food for Peace and McGovern Dole break that cycle.
02:40In Lebanon, where economic collapses shredded the supply chain, Food for Peace delivered 100,000 metric tons of wheat last year.
02:48In fiscal year 23, McGovern Dole provided school meals to more than 2.5 million children in developing countries like Bangladesh where families fed ethnic cleansing and rely upon rations to survive.
03:02Through these programs, Kansas wheat, Arkansas rice, Iowa soybeans are feeding the hungry around the world who are facing famine, war and national instability.
03:13Food for Peace also provides a critical market for our producers.
03:18This is an issue that matters to Kansas farmers, to matters to farmers around the country.
03:23It 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.
03:34For years, Food for Peace has been hampered by bureaucratic delays, mismanagement and abuse within USAID.
03:39The inefficiency of USAID hasn't just wasted taxpayer dollars.
03:43It's weakened the reach and effectiveness of some of our most vital humanitarian aid programs.
03:49Thanks to its extensive infrastructure and hands-on experience in both domestic and international operations, the USDA is uniquely positioned to manage Food for Peace.
03:59In February, I introduced a bill with my colleague from Kansas, Senator Marshall, and our colleague from North Dakota, Senator Hoeven,
04:07and Representative Tracy Mann, the occupier of the seat in the 1st District of Kansas in Congress,
04:14to 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.
04:22Right now, USDA runs two highly successful foreign assistance programs and already handles all domestic commodity purchases for the Food for Peace Title II.
04:31Most importantly, USDA has the trust of American farmers.
04:35They know the agency, they understand their work, and it can deliver results.
04:40I'm 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.
04:49By placing Food for Peace under USDA's authority, we make certain that the program can continue to bring revenue to American agriculture producers.
04:59In fiscal year 2023, Food for Peace purchased $713 million worth of U.S.-grown commodities,
05:06and McGovern-Dole purchased another $33 million, both direct investments into rural communities across Kansas and the country.
05:14I co-chaired the Hunger Caucus in the Senate.
05:18I co-chaired the Hunger Caucus in the House.
05:21I took on that responsibility to try to make a difference.
05:25I've 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.
05:33I often tell farmers in Kansas, farming is a noble profession.
05:40Feeding people is a worthwhile cause.
05:43And God gave you a purpose.
05:45God gave you a farmer, a purpose for your life.
05:49It was Kansas farmers who came up with the idea for Food for Peace as a moral and common-sense solution
05:56to prevent excess American food from going to waste and using it to feed the hungry across the globe.
06:03For 70 years, the United States of America has made the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world,
06:11and has made circumstances better for farmers here at home.
