III 

Calendar No. 379 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 260 

Recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerating global progress against maternal and child malnutrition and 

supporting the commitment of the United States Agency for International 

Development to global nutrition through the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition 

Strategy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 24, 2019 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. COONS, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. 

YOUNG, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CASEY, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. 

REED, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MORAN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

RUBIO, Mr. BROWN, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. 

DURBIN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. SMITH, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. 

KING, Mr. JONES, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. PETERS, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. WICKER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. CAPITO, 

Ms. ROSEN, Ms. ERNST, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. HAWLEY, Mr. MURPHY, 

Mr. BRAUN, Mr. WARNER, and Mrs. SHAHEEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 18, 2019 

Reported by Mr. RISCH, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerating global progress against maternal 

and child malnutrition and supporting the commitment 


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of the United States Agency for International Development to global nutrition through the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy. 

Whereas, of all children under 5 years of age worldwide— 

(1) 149,000,000, or 21.9 percent, are stunted or 

chronically undernourished; 

(2) an estimated 7.3 percent, or nearly 49,000,000, 

experience life-threatening acute malnutrition (also 

known as ‘‘wasting’’); and 

(3) more than 40,000,000 are overweight; 

Whereas, in countries highly affected by undernutrition, 

stunting affects 1 in every 3 children; 

Whereas malnutrition directly or indirectly causes 45 percent 

of all deaths of children under 5 years of age, a total of 

2,600,000 deaths annually; 

Whereas children who experience malnutrition— 

(1) may experience impaired brain development, 

lower IQ, and weakened immune systems; and 

(2) are at a greater risk of contracting serious diseases; 

Whereas undernourished adolescent girls have impaired cognitive ability and productivity, and the future children of 

those girls are at increased risk for low birth weight and 

death; 

Whereas iron deficiency anemia, associated with undernutrition, contributes to 1 in 5 maternal deaths, or 20 percent 

of maternal mortality; 

Whereas poor maternal nutrition contributes to poor fetal development and low birth weight, and an estimated 60 to 

80 percent of neonatal deaths occur in low-birth-weight 

babies; 


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Whereas a large body of scientific evidence supports the benefits of improved breastfeeding practices on the short-term 

and long-term health and development of children and 

their mothers; 

Whereas a growing body of evidence indicates that reducing 

maternal and child malnutrition, especially in the critical 

1,000-day period between the beginning of pregnancy and 

the second birthday of the child, is imperative to— 

(1) ending preventable child and maternal deaths; 

(2) improving cognitive and physical development; 

and 

(3) strengthening the immune systems of children to 

bolster resistance to disease; 

Whereas leading economists and Nobel Laureates have identified improving child nutrition as the most cost-effective 

way to improve global health outcomes and enhance development; 

Whereas the approach of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy of the United States Agency for International Development addresses the direct and underlying causes of 

malnutrition; 

Whereas the focus of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy 

on linking humanitarian assistance with development programming helps build resilience to shocks in vulnerable 

communities; 

Whereas malnutrition is a universal issue that no country can 

afford to overlook; 

Whereas countries with populations that experience high burdens of malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, anemia, and micronutrient deficiency, will struggle to achieve 

sustainable and equitable economic growth; 


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Whereas the United States plays a leading role supporting 

the goals of Scaling Up Nutrition, a global movement of 

60 countries to prioritize nutrition through effective policy and dedicated national resources, particularly during 

the 1,000-day window of opportunity between the beginning of pregnancy and the second birthday of the child; 

and 

Whereas, although the world has reduced undernutrition 

since 1990, global progress has been too slow— 

(1) to ensure that each child can attain a full and 

prosperous future regardless of where that child was 

born; and 

(2) for the global community to reach the global nutrition targets set for 2025: Now, therefore, be it 

Whereas of all children under 5 worldwide— 

(1) 149,000,000, or 21.9 percent, are stunted or 

chronically undernourished; 

(2) an estimated 7.3 percent, or nearly 49,000,000, 

experience life-threatening acute malnutrition (also known 

as ‘‘wasting’’); and 

(3) more than 40,000,000 are overweight; 

Whereas, in countries highly affected by undernutrition, stunting affects 1 in every 3 children; 

Whereas malnutrition directly or indirectly causes 45 percent 

of all deaths of children under 5 years of age, a total of 

2,600,000 deaths annually; 

Whereas undernourished adolescent girls often suffer impaired 

cognitive ability and productivity, and the future children 

of those girls are at increased risk for low birth weight and 

death; 


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Whereas iron deficiency anemia, associated with undernutrition, contributes to 1 in 5 maternal deaths, or 20 percent 

of maternal mortality; 

Whereas poor maternal nutrition contributes to poor fetal development and low birth weight, and an estimated 60 to 

80 percent of neonatal deaths occur in low-birth-weight babies; 

Whereas a large body of evidence supports the benefits of improved breastfeeding practices on the short-term and longterm health and development of children and their mothers; 

Whereas a growing body of evidence indicates that reducing 

maternal and child malnutrition, especially in the critical 

1,000-day period between the beginning of pregnancy and 

the second birthday of the child, is imperative to— 

(1) ending preventable child and maternal deaths; 

(2) improving IQ, and physical, brain and cognitive 

development; and 

(3) strengthening the immune systems of children; 

Whereas combatting malnutrition is an economic issue, as well 

as a global health issue, that is central to reducing poverty 

and putting communities on a path toward greater self-reliance and economic growth; 

Whereas research indicates that— 

(1) adults who were well nourished as children earn 

up to 46 percent more than adults who were malnourished 

as children; 

(2) countries with a very high burden of early malnutrition have lower economic growth rates resulting from 

lost income and productivity; and 


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(3) the cost of child malnutrition is substantial, with 

estimated losses in Gross Domestic Product of 3 to 16 percent and potential impacts to the global economy as high 

as $3,500,000,000 per year; 

Whereas leading economists and Nobel Laureates have identified improving child nutrition as the most cost-effective 

way to improve global health outcomes and enhance development; 

Whereas the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Strategy of the United 

States Agency for International Development (USAID) 

recognizes that it is in the national interest of the United 

States to help developing countries reduce malnutrition by 

addressing the direct and underlying causes of malnutrition; 

Whereas the linkage between humanitarian assistance and development programming under the USAID Multi-Sectoral 

Nutrition Strategy helps build resilience to shocks and 

stresses in vulnerable communities, promotes greater selfreliance, and is essential to reducing long-term reliance 

upon other forms of United States foreign assistance; 

Whereas, in addition to providing bilateral support, the United 

States plays a leading role in supporting the goals of Scaling Up Nutrition, a global movement of 60 countries to 

prioritize nutrition through effective policy and dedicated 

national resources, particularly during the 1,000-day window of opportunity between the beginning of pregnancy 

and the second birthday of the child; and 

Whereas, despite the significant progress in reducing undernutrition since 1990, global progress has been too slow— 


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(1) to ensure that undernutrition no longer inhibits 

a child’s ability to attain a full and prosperous future; 

and 

(2) for the global community to reach the global nutrition targets set for 2025: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes that— 

3 (A) food security and good nutrition in 

4 early childhood saves lives and lays the founda5 tion for healthy physical and cognitive growth 

6 and development; 

7 (B) the potential benefits of good nutrition 

8 in early childhood are life-long and influence 

9 the entire future of the child, with entire com10 munities and nations ultimately prospering; 

11 (C) the right nutrition— 

12 (i) helps children learn; 

13 (ii) helps protect children from illness; 

14 (iii) increases the productivity and 

15 earning potential of children later in life; 

16 and 

17 (iv) supports the well-being and health 

18 of the future offspring of those children 

19 who receive that nutrition; 

20 (D) women who are well-nourished and do 

21 not suffer from anemia are less likely to die in 


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1 childbirth or give birth to children who are mal2 nourished, breaking the intergenerational cycle 

3 of malnutrition; 

4 (E) good nutrition is an economic issue 

5 that is central to reducing poverty and putting 

6 countries on a path to economic development; 

7 (F) adults who were well-nourished as chil8 dren earn up to 46 percent more than adults 

9 who were malnourished as children; 

10 (G) countries with a very high burden of 

11 early childhood malnutrition have lower eco12 nomic growth rates due to lost income and pro13 ductivity; and 

14 (H) the cost of childhood malnutrition to 

15 countries is substantial, with— 

16 (i) estimated losses in Gross Domestic 

17 Product of 3 to 16 percent; and 

18 (ii) potential impacts to the global 

19 economy as high as $3,500,000,000,000 

20 per year; 

21 (2) applauds the leadership of the United 

22 States in helping developing countries meet the nu23 tritional needs of women and children; 


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1 (3) supports continued efforts by the United 

2 States to help developing countries meet the nutri3 tional needs of women and children; 

4 (4) commends the United States Agency for 

5 International Development (referred to in this reso6 lution as ‘‘USAID’’) for recognizing that nutrition 

7 interventions are among the highest-impact evidence8 based interventions that— 

9 (A) are lifesaving; and 

10 (B) support the goal of ending preventable 

11 child and maternal deaths; 

12 (5) recognizes the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition 

13 Strategy, the U.S. Government Global Nutrition Co14 ordination Plan, and the Global Food Security 

15 Strategy as platforms through which to reach, by 

16 2025, the global nutrition targets agreed to at the 

17 World Health Assembly in 2012; 

18 (6) recognizes the vision and goals of the Scal19 ing Up Nutrition movement, a global partnership 

20 supporting country-led efforts to improve maternal 

21 and child nutrition through the involvement of— 

22 (A) governments; 

23 (B) civil society; 

24 (C) the United Nations; 

25 (D) donors; 


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1 (E) businesses; and 

2 (F) researchers; 

3 (7) recognizes that progress against global mal4 nutrition must be accelerated using innovative, 

5 scaled up approaches to improve the systems that 

6 affect the health and nutritional status of women 

7 and children; and 

8 (8) calls for transformative efforts across sec9 tors at USAID to accelerate progress to end mater10 nal and child malnutrition, including through— 

11 (A) country development cooperation strat12 egies that align with national nutrition plans; 

13 and 

14 (B) improved and clear methods to track 

15 nutrition funding and outcomes across all global 

16 nutrition programs of the United States Gov17 ernment, especially those relating to— 

18 (i) global health; 

19 (ii) food security; 

20 (iii) agriculture; 

21 (iv) basic education; 

22 (v) food assistance; and 

23 (vi) water, sanitation, and hygiene 

24 (also known as ‘‘WASH’’). 

25 That the Senate— 


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1 (1) recognizes that— 

2 (A) malnutrition is a universal issue that 

3 no country can afford to overlook; 

4 (B) food security and good nutrition in 

5 early childhood saves lives and lays the founda6 tion for healthy physical and cognitive growth 

7 and development; and 

8 (C) the potential life-long health and eco9 nomic benefits of early childhood nutrition influ10 ence the future of individual children and fami11 lies, as well as entire communities and countries; 

12 (2) acknowledges that effective programs to re13 duce malnutrition are not only lifesaving, but also 

14 critical to the success of United States foreign assist15 ance programs to improve global health, end prevent16 able child and maternal death, achieve an AIDS-free 

17 generation, reach starving children during an emer18 gency, strengthen food security, and accelerate inclu19 sive economic growth; 

20 (3) affirms that it is in the national interest of 

21 the United States to help developing countries build 

22 their own capacity to reduce malnutrition, address 

23 the direct and indirect causes of malnutrition, and 

24 meet the nutritional needs of women and children; 


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1 (4) recognizes the effectiveness of the Multi-Sec2 toral Nutrition Strategy of USAID, the U.S. Govern3 ment Global Nutrition Coordination Plan, and the 

4 U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy to 

5 address the direct and indirect causes of malnutrition 

6 and reach, by 2025, the global nutrition targets 

7 agreed to at the World Health Assembly in 2012; 

8 (5) supports the goals and principles of the Scal9 ing Up Nutrition movement to end global malnutri10 tion through— 

11 (A) greater collaboration between govern12 ments, civil society, international organizations, 

13 donors, the private sector, and researchers on 

14 multi-sectoral approaches; 

15 (B) cost-effective and inclusive approaches; 

16 and 

17 (C) improved transparency and account18 ability for results; 

19 (6) recognizes the significant progress made in 

20 the fight against global malnutrition, 

21 (7) recommends accelerating improvements to the 

22 systems affecting the health and nutritional status of 

23 women and children through innovative, scaled-up 

24 approaches; 


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1 (8) applauds the efforts of USAID to integrate 

2 effective nutrition programming across relevant devel3 opment sectors; and 

4 (9) calls for additional transformative efforts 

5 across relevant sectors at USAID to accelerate 

6 progress toward ending maternal and child malnutri7 tion, including through— 

8 (A) country development cooperation strate9 gies that align with national nutrition plans; 

10 and 

11 (B) improved and clear methods to track 

12 nutrition funding and outcomes across all global 

13 nutrition programs of the United States Govern14 ment, especially those relating to— 

15 (i) global health; 

16 (ii) food security; 

17 (iii) agricultural development; 

18 (iv) basic education; 

19 (v) food assistance; and 

20 (vi) water, sanitation, and hygiene 

21 (also known as ‘‘WASH’’). 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A resolution recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerating global progress against maternal and 

child malnutrition and supporting the commitment of the 

United States Agency for International Development to 


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reducing global malnutrition through the Multi-Sectoral 

Nutrition Strategy.’’. 


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Calendar No. 379 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 260 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of sustained United 

Strategy. nutrition through the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Agency for International Development to global porting the commitment of the United States against maternal and child malnutrition and supStates leadership to accelerating global progress 

DECEMBER 18, 2019 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble and an amendment to the title 


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