During a Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) asked U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture Nominee Lynda Blanchard about food security.
00:00to talk to Ms. Blanchard. I'm really concerned about food security and things are getting
00:08exponentially worse on our planet. It's estimated right now, unfortunately, the Trump administration's
00:15foreign assistance cuts have already resulted in over 63,000 children dying unnecessarily
00:20from hunger. This is heartbreaking. It's a violation of the decency and values of our
00:25country. The Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the WFP, the FAO, the IFAD, these are critical tools to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities who are at risk of hunger. Hunger leads not to horrible death that is deplorable, but it also leads to instability that ultimately could affect our security. So we've confirmed how will you seek to advance the programs that address long-term food security
00:55challenges? How do you propose to do that if the U.S. is actually reducing its funding and commitment? And as you know, other nations, watch us. When we reduce, they reduce. When we challenge them to do more, as I've done in a bipartisan way here in past years, they do more. And so what impact, ultimately, do you think the reduction in U.S. funding will have on food insecure countries and communities worldwide?
01:17Senator, thank you for the question. As we all know, food security is bipartisan. We all are in agreement of that. But I do believe we're all in agreement as well of our accountability for our checkbooks. I mean, I account for things that go in and out of my checkbook at home.
01:35And I think it's wonderful to reevaluate. And I look forward to the reevaluation process. I personally, and I would never want to put words in the president's mouth, but the fact that he has nominated someone for this position is encouraging to me.
01:52I've worked for the last 20 years in helping orphans and the most vulnerable abroad in 12 different countries. I'm a believer in it. I realize it's national security.
02:03But I do also realize that there's been instances where mal-aligned players have gotten a hold of food and used it against us or our allies. So I certainly look forward to meeting with you and this whole committee in the future.
02:20So I'm out of time. I want to be respectful. I just want to say this. When I was on the Chad-Sudan border, and I've never had a situation, I've visited refugee camps all around this world,
02:29where pleading Americans were begging me to up food assistance, and were being very clear with me as I looked at malnourished babies of what would happen if we didn't increase food assistance.
02:41Well, we have done worse. We've limited funding, and I've now heard directly about the children that have died there.
02:48There is a moral urgency that I know reflects deeply within your faith tradition and my faith tradition.
02:54I beg of you publicly, when it comes to crises like we're seeing in Sudan, to please be a call of conscience to this administration should you be confirmed,
03:05to please demand in private that we step up to American tradition and the moral urgency that has been supported in a bipartisan way.
03:14We are watching children die at rates that should stun the conscience of Americans, and I'm hoping that you can help us to address that crisis.
03:23So thank you very much.
03:25Thank you, Senator.
03:27Senator Rush.
03:29Ms. Guilford, I want to drill down a little bit more into the issues between Greece and Turkey.
