Kamlager-Dove, Lawler Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Agriculture Committee to Strengthen International Food Security Programs in the Farm Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 19, 2023

Media Contact: Maya Valentine | maya.valentine@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) led 70 colleagues in a letter to Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and Ranking Member David Scott (GA-04) of the House Agriculture Committee to express the importance of standing up against global hunger and strengthening U.S. international food assistance programs in the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill, legislation that is reauthorized every 5 years, enacts an array of agriculture and food assistance programs, ranging from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole. With a long history of bipartisan support, the Farm Bill has helped make the U.S. the global leader in the fight against world hunger. 

Title III of the Farm Bill authorizes two kinds of international food security assistance: lifesaving emergency aid, which provides U.S. commodities to combat severe hunger and malnutrition in times of humanitarian crisis, and vital nonemergency food assistance, which leverages development programs to address the underlying drivers of hunger and malnutrition abroad. It is the non-emergency programs that strengthen communities’ ability to feed themselves over the long-term, reduce the root causes of global food insecurity, and avoid expensive and inefficient aid dependencies that compromise people’s agency. 

However, as the Farm Bill comes up for reauthorization this Congress, there is concern that non-emergency programs are in danger, just as a series of global shocks have made these capacity-building investments more important than ever. Roughly 783 million people around the world do not have enough to eat, with more than 345 million people facing severe food insecurity. Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove’s letter with Congressman Lawler demonstrates strong bipartisan support for these critical programs.

“The scale of global hunger and malnutrition is both a humanitarian emergency and a serious threat to long-term U.S. interests in poverty alleviation, good governance, and economic development around the world. Combating world hunger cannot be achieved by providing food aid alone–it requires addressing the underlying drivers by strengthening local food systems and building up production capacity in affected communities. The most cost-effective and sustainable intervention is to support people’s agency by giving them the tools to feed themselves,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove.

“The Farm Bill has traditionally recognized this by authorizing both emergency and critical nonemergency international food security assistance. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan letter with Congressman Lawler to showcase strong Congressional support for strengthening these nonemergency programs alongside emergency efforts in the Farm Bill reauthorization and continuing a long bipartisan tradition of U.S. leadership in the fight against world hunger,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove.

“It is critical that the United States continue to lead the global fight against hunger and malnutrition. U.S. leadership in the fight against global poverty has helped lift untold millions out of squalor and is an example of how our nation can be a powerful force for good in the world. I urge my House colleagues serving on the Agriculture Committee to include robust Title III funding for international food assistance,” said Congressman Lawler. “It is more critical now than ever that the United States rise to meet the challenges of our turbulent times and provide leadership in this space.”

“We cannot end global hunger without strengthening local food systems, increasing gender equity, and addressing the root causes of hunger through the Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole Food for Education resilience-building programs. As the Farm Bill deadline approaches, Congress must strengthen resilience programs – not weaken them – and elevate women’s leadership to save lives and end hunger. I sincerely appreciate Rep. Kamlager-Dove and Rep. Lawler’s bipartisan leadership in this effort,” said Michelle Nunn, CEO, CARE USA.

"As the world confronts a resurgent global food crisis, it is more important than ever to support programs such as the Resilience Food Security Activity awards authorized under Title III of the Farm Bill. By investing in these resilience building programs, Congress can help communities prevent hunger and the need for emergency assistance," said Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO, Mercy Corps.

“Save the Children applauds Rep. Kamlager-Dove and Rep. Lawler for leading this important effort to preserve and strengthen the international food aid programs that save lives and help families around the world feed themselves and be self-sufficient,” said Janti Soeripto, President and CEO, Save the Children. “As our world faces constrained resources and escalating hunger, it has never been more critical to build resilience as a moral imperative.”

In addition to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Congressman Lawler, the letter is signed by 70 members of Congress: Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Congresswoman María Salazar (FL-27), Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), Congressman André Carson (IN-07), Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03), Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), Congressman Christopher Smith (NJ-04), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Congressman Dean Phillips (MN-03), Congressman Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Congresswoman Susan Wild (PA-07), Congressman Ami Bera (CA-06), Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Congressman William Keating (MA-09), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22), Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Congressman Richard Neal (MA-01), Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Congressman Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-36), Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Congresswoman Troy Carter (LA-02), Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11), Congressman James McGovern (MA-02), Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), Congressman Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Congresswoman Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03), Congresswoman Ann Kuster (NH-02), Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), Congressman David Trone (MD-06), and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13).

The letter is also endorsed by 22 organizations, many of which are on the frontlines of administering this critical resilience-building aid: Action Against Hunger, Alliance to End Hunger, Better World Campaign, Bread for the World, CARE USA, Catholic Relief Services, Food for the Hungry, Global Communities, Humanity & Inclusion, InterAction, Islamic Relief USA, Lutheran World Relief/Cours International, MedGlobal, Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN), Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Mercy Corps, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam America, Save the Children, UNICEF USA, United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA), and World Vision.

To read the full letter, click here.

# # #