Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of my bill, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill, which I worked on with Mr. Smith to reaffirm the United States' commitment to fighting hunger and poverty worldwide. It truly has been a bipartisan effort.

This bill builds upon the landmark Global Food Security Act of 2016. It reauthorizes the incredibly successful Feed the Future initiative, which has carried out lifesaving programs and helped millions of people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.

This legislation reauthorizes GFSA to 2028 and makes commonsense updates to reflect the changing landscape of global hunger. Specifically, this bill emphasizes agriculture-led economic growth and strengthening resilience against climate change and the global COVID-19 pandemic. This will help reduce malnutrition in women and children.

By supporting small farmers and women farmers, in particular, we can increase food production and incomes so that families and communities around the world may improve their way of life.

This legislation will also help to create a more stable world, as has been mentioned, by helping millions of people in the world's poorest countries become self-sufficient in feeding themselves.

As chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I know all too well the human, economic, and national security costs of global food insecurity, and it is just too high for Congress to ignore. The passage and enactment of this bill today truly cannot come soon enough for our national security.

I am proud to have worked on this legislation. I have worked on this legislation for over 14 years, starting with Senator Lugar, after being in Africa and watching how lack of food and clean water affected our ability to really make the HIV/AIDS program move forward. From that, the more I learned about malnutrition, the more passionate I became.

I am proud to have worked on this with experts in the field of global food and nutrition security, such as InterAction, Bread for the World, 1,000 Days, CARE, Save the Children, The Alliance to End Hunger, and so many more. Madam Speaker, I thank them for their expertise, for helping to lift up this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I also thank our co-leads, Chair Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul, and a special thank-you to Representative Smith, for their work on this legislation. Their enduring commitment to end global hunger is important work that we do together.

Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.

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