House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) issued the following statement after the House passed S.1252, the Global Food Security Act of 2016.
“As I have mentioned before, the agricultural community is proud to have long played a crucial role in the effort to alleviate hunger and enhance food security across the globe.
“I am pleased that the Global Food Security Act reflects and capitalizes on that commitment without overhauling time-tested food aid programs that provide U.S. commodities for emergency feeding and development projects worldwide.
“While I do have reservations about the Emergency Food Security Program (EFSP), I am mindful of the need to keep ‘a variety of tools in the toolbox’ in order to effectively combat global hunger. With EFSP funding now roughly equal to that of emergency aid under Food for Peace, private voluntary organizations should have the flexibility they so desire to complement existing in-kind assistance programs.
“I commend Chairman Royce and Rep. Smith of New Jersey for their hard work on this important issue and for their willingness to work with the Agriculture Committee to ensure that the expertise of the agricultural community is fully leveraged in addressing global food security.
“I look forward to monitoring the implementation of the Global Food Security Strategy and developing a better understanding of how our foreign assistance dollars are being put to use—particularly those allocated to EFSP projects.”