IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 201

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the power of agricultural

humanitarian assistance, in the form of a millenium good will food

aid initiative, to help guide developing countries down the path to self

sufficiency.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 19, 1999

Ms. KAPTUR submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the power

of agricultural humanitarian assistance, in the form of

a millenium good will food aid initiative, to help guide

developing countries down the path to self sufficiency.

Whereas abundant agricultural production in the United

States has resulted in historically low commodity prices

and hardships for farmers whose incomes have fallen

drastically;

Whereas less developed countries cannot afford to import

adequate supplies of food to meet the basic nutritional

needs of their people and face an annual 14,000,000 metric ton shortfall in grains;
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Whereas disasters in developing countries, due to flooding,

drought, earthquakes, and civil war have compounded the

suffering of the poor and thrust millions of low-income

and even middle-income families into poverty;

Whereas food aid donations from the United States can fill

the food gap in developing countries and regions such as

Kosovo, the Middle East, and newly independent states,

sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Turkey, and Macedonia, mitigate the effects of disasters, and provide longterm benefits through monetization and targeted economic and social development programs; and

Whereas commodities can be purchased under a variety of existing authorities to stabilize the United States farm

economy and then donated abroad to provide assistance

to people in needs and to build United States markets

abroad: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) commodities held in the Bill Emerson Hu4 manitarian Trust should be increased to the

5 4,000,000 metric ton maximum level allowed by law

6 to help lift surplus off the backs of American farm7 ers and to be prepared for humanitarian assistance

8 efforts in the future when little or no surplus exists;

9 (2) monetization of commodities should be car10 ried out in needy countries as an important develop11 mental tool;
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1 (3) use of the Commodity Credit Corporation

2 and all other existing authorities should be maxi3 mized to assure surpluses in the United States are

4 procured and targeted to be shipped and delivered

5 overseas to needy people;

6 (4) USAID and USDA should entertain and

7 evaluate PVO proposals for food assistance in a

8 timely fashion without obstacle;

9 (5) USAID should increase humanitarian non10 emergency food aid to the extent possible and give

11 PVO’s flexibility to use monetization to address local

12 development needs;

13 (6) the Treasury Department should look more

14 aggressively at Public Law 480—debt forgiveness

15 for highly indebted poor countries to promote fur16 ther economic development;

17 (7) sanctions should be removed, consistent

18 with United States foreign policy, to promote United

19 States agriculture exports and humanitarian goals;

20 and

21 (8) the USDA and all other appropriate depart22 ments and agencies of the Federal Government

23 should also participate to the maximum extent pos24 sible in multilateral food assistance and development
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1 programs operated by the United Nations and other

2 multilateral organizations.

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