H. Rept. 114-482 - GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2015114th Congress (2015-2016)
Committee Report
| Report Type: | House Report |
|---|---|
| Accompanies: | H.R.1567 |
| Committees: |
H. Rept. 114-482 - 114th Congress (2015-2016)
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House Report 114-482 - GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2015
[House Report 114-482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2nd Session } { 114-482
======================================================================
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2015
_______
April 12, 2016.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Royce, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1567]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 1567) to authorize a comprehensive, strategic
approach for United States foreign assistance to developing
countries to reduce global poverty and hunger, achieve food
security and improved nutrition, promote inclusive, sustainable
agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional outcomes,
especially for women and children, build resilience among
vulnerable populations, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
The Amendment.................................................... 2
Summary and Purpose.............................................. 5
Background and Need for the Legislation.......................... 6
Hearings......................................................... 9
Committee Consideration.......................................... 11
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 11
New Budget Authority, Tax Expenditures, and Federal Mandates..... 11
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 12
Directed Rule Making............................................. 13
Non-Duplication of Federal Programs.............................. 13
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 13
Congressional Accountability Act................................. 13
New Advisory Committees.......................................... 13
Earmark Identification........................................... 14
Constitutional Authority Statement............................... 14
Section-by-Section Analysis...................................... 14
The Amendment
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Food Security Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national security
interest of the United States to promote global food security,
resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national food security
investment plans, which is reinforced through programs, activities, and
initiatives that--
(1) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth
that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition,
particularly among women and children;
(2) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of
small-scale producers, especially women, by working across
agricultural value chains, enhancing local capacity to manage
agricultural resources effectively, and expanding producer
access to local and international markets;
(3) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable
populations and households while reducing reliance upon
emergency food assistance;
(4) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth
and investment, including through the promotion of secure and
transparent property rights;
(5) improve the nutritional status of women and children,
with a focus on reducing child stunting, including through the
promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, and
nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health;
(6) align with and leverage broader United States strategies
and investments in trade, economic growth, science and
technology, maternal and child health, nutrition, and water,
sanitation, and hygiene;
(7) continue to strengthen partnerships between United
States-based universities and institutions in target countries
and communities that build agricultural capacity; and
(8) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer
dollars to further these objectives.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the
President, in providing assistance to implement the Global Food
Security Strategy, should--
(1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the
efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to
implement the Global Food Security Strategy; and
(2) utilize open and streamlined solicitations to allow for
the participation of a wide range of implementing partners
through the most appropriate procurement mechanisms, which may
include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other
instruments as necessary and appropriate.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agriculture.--The term ``agriculture'' means crops,
livestock, fisheries, and forestries.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the
Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by
United States universities that advance solutions to reduce
global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
(4) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and
nutrition security'' means access to, and availability,
utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric
and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
(5) Global food security strategy.--The term ``Global Food
Security Strategy'' means the strategy developed and
implemented pursuant to section 4(a).
(6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor
nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
(7) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term
``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means the United
States Agency for International Development, the Department of
Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of
State, the Department of the Treasury, the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the
Peace Corps, the Office of the United States Trade
Representative, the United States African Development
Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and any other
department or agency specified by the President for purposes of
this section.
(8) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability of
people, households, communities, countries, and systems to
mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses to
food security in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability
and facilitates inclusive growth.
(9) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale producer''
means farmers, pastoralists, foresters, and fishers that have a
low-asset base and limited resources, including land, capital,
skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, typically farm
on fewer than 5 hectares of land.
(10) Sustainable.--The term ``sustainable'' means the ability
of a target country, community, implementing partner, or
intended beneficiary to maintain, over time, the programs
authorized and outcomes achieved pursuant to this Act.
(11) Target country.--The term ``target country'' means a
developing country that is selected to participate in
agriculture and nutrition security programs under the Global
Food Security Strategy pursuant to the selection criteria
described in section 4(a)(2), including criteria such as the
potential for agriculture-led economic growth, government
commitment to agricultural investment and policy reform,
opportunities for partnerships and regional synergies, the
level of need, and resource availability.
SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.
(a) Strategy.--The President shall coordinate the development and
implementation of a United States whole-of-government strategy to
accomplish the policy objectives set forth in section 2(a), which
shall--
(1) set specific and measurable goals, benchmarks,
timetables, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation
plans that reflect international best practices relating to
transparency, accountability, food and nutrition security, and
agriculture-led economic growth, consistent with the policy
objectives described in section 2(a);
(2) establish clear and transparent selection criteria for
target countries, communities, regions, and intended
beneficiaries of assistance;
(3) support and be aligned with country-owned agriculture,
nutrition, and food security policy and investment plans
developed with input from relevant governmental and
nongovernmental sectors within target countries and
communities, regional bodies, and representatives of the
private sector, agricultural producers, including women and
small-scale producers, international and local civil society
organizations, faith-based organizations, agricultural research
and academic institutions, and farmers, as appropriate;
(4) support inclusive agricultural value chain development,
with small-scale producers, especially women, gaining greater
access to the inputs, skills, resource management capacity,
networking, bargaining power, financing, and market linkages
needed to sustain their long-term economic prosperity;
(5) support improvement of the nutritional status of women
and children, particularly during the critical first 1,000-day
window until a child reaches 2 years of age and with a focus on
reducing child stunting, through nutrition-specific and
nutrition-sensitive programs, including related water,
sanitation, and hygiene programs;
(6) facilitate communication and collaboration, as
appropriate, among local stakeholders in support of a multi-
sectoral approach to food and nutrition security, to include
analysis of the multiple underlying causes of malnutrition,
including lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation,
and hygiene;
(7) support the long-term success of programs by building the
capacity of local organizations and institutions in target
countries and communities;
(8) integrate resilience and nutrition strategies into food
security programs, such that chronically vulnerable populations
are better able to build safety nets, secure livelihoods,
access markets, and access opportunities for longer-term
economic growth;
(9) develop community and producer resilience to natural
disasters, emergencies, and natural occurrences that adversely
impact agricultural yield;
(10) harness science, technology, and innovation, including
the research conducted at Feed the Future Innovation Labs, or
any successor entities, throughout the United States;
(11) integrate agricultural development activities among food
insecure populations living in proximity to designated national
parks or wildlife areas into wildlife conservation efforts, as
necessary and appropriate;
(12) leverage resources and expertise through partnerships
with the private sector, farm organizations, cooperatives,
civil society, faith-based organizations, and agricultural
research and academic institutions;
(13) support collaboration, as appropriate, between United
States universities and public and private institutions in
target countries and communities to promote agricultural
development and innovation;
(14) seek to ensure that target countries and communities
respect and promote land tenure rights of local communities,
particularly those of women and small-scale producers; and
(15) include criteria and methodologies for graduating target
countries and communities from assistance provided to implement
the Global Food Security Strategy as such countries and
communities meet the progress benchmarks identified pursuant to
section 6(b)(4).
(b) Coordination.--The President shall coordinate, through a whole-
of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and
agencies in the implementation of the Global Food Security Strategy
by--
(1) establishing monitoring and evaluation systems,
coherence, and coordination across relevant Federal departments
and agencies; and
(2) establishing platforms for regular consultation and
collaboration with key stakeholders, including--
(A) national and local governments;
(B) multilateral institutions;
(C) private voluntary organizations;
(D) cooperatives;
(E) the private sector;
(F) local nongovernmental and civil society
organizations;
(G) faith-based organizations;
(H) congressional committees; and
(I) other stakeholders, as appropriate.
(c) Strategy Submission.--
(1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2016, the
President, in consultation with the head of each relevant
Federal department and agency, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees the Global Food Security Strategy
required under this section that provides a detailed
description of how the United States intends to advance the
objectives set forth in section 2(a) and the agency-specific
plans described in paragraph (2).
(2) Agency-specific plans.--The Global Food Security Strategy
shall include specific implementation plans from each relevant
Federal department and agency that describes--
(A) the anticipated contributions of the department
or agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind
contributions, to implement the Global Food Security
Strategy; and
(B) the efforts of the department or agency to ensure
that the activities and programs carried out pursuant
to the strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact
and long-term sustainability.
SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.
(a) Food Shortages.--The President is authorized to carry out
activities pursuant to section 103, section 103A, title XII of chapter
2 of part I, and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.) to
prevent or address food shortages notwithstanding any other provision
of law.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development $1,000,600,000 for
fiscal year 2016 to carry out those portions of the Global Food
Security Strategy that relate to the Department of State and the United
States Agency for International Development, respectively.
(c) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The President shall seek to ensure
that assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy is
provided under established parameters for a rigorous accountability
system to monitor and evaluate progress and impact of the strategy,
including by reporting to the appropriate congressional committees and
the public on an annual basis.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
submission of the strategy required under section 4(c), the President
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
describes the status of the implementation of the Global Food Security
Strategy.
(b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) contain a summary of the Global Food Security Strategy as
an appendix;
(2) identify any substantial changes made in the Global Food
Security Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
(3) describe the progress made in implementing the Global
Food Security Strategy;
(4) identify the indicators used to establish benchmarks and
measure results over time, as well as the mechanisms for
reporting such results in an open and transparent manner;
(5) describe related strategies and benchmarks for graduating
target countries and communities from assistance provided under
the Global Food Security Strategy over time, including by
building resilience, reducing risk, and enhancing the
sustainability of outcomes from United States investments in
agriculture and nutrition security;
(6) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of
spending by relevant Federal departments and agencies to
implement the Global Food Security Strategy, including by
listing all implementing partners and, to the extent
practicable, describing their activities;
(7) describe how the Global Food Security Strategy relates to
other United States food security and development assistance
programs on the continuum from emergency food aid through
sustainable, agriculture-led economic growth;
(8) describe the contributions of the Global Food Security
Strategy to, and assess the impact of, broader international
food and nutrition security assistance programs, including
progress in the promotion of land tenure rights, creating
economic opportunities for women and small-scale producers, and
stimulating agriculture-led economic growth in target countries
and communities;
(9) assess efforts to coordinate United States international
food security and nutrition programs, activities, and
initiatives with--
(A) other bilateral donors;
(B) international and multilateral organizations;
(C) international financial institutions;
(D) target country governments;
(E) international and local private voluntary,
nongovernmental, faith-based organizations, and civil
society organizations; and
(F) other stakeholders;
(10) assess United States Government-facilitated private
investment in related sectors and the impact of private sector
investment in target countries and communities;
(11) identify any United States legal or regulatory
impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of
the programming referred to in paragraphs (7) and (8);
(12) contain a clear gender analysis of programming, to
inform project-level activities, that includes established
disaggregated gender indicators to better analyze outcomes for
food productivity, income growth, control of assets, equity in
access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition; and
(13) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and updating
strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing lessons
learned with a wide range of stakeholders in an open,
transparent manner.
(c) Public Availability of Information.--The information referred to
in subsection (b) shall be made available on the public website of the
United States Agency for International Development in an open, machine
readable format, in a timely manner.
Summary and Purpose
H.R. 1567, the Global Food Security Act, establishes
priorities for and enhances the transparency of U.S. foreign
assistance programs, authorized pursuant to Chapter 1 of Part 1
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, to reduce poverty and
hunger in developing countries through activities that:
Accelerate agriculture-led economic growth; enhance food and
nutrition security; build resilience while reducing long-term
dependence upon aid; create an enabling environment for
investment and trade; and advance related U.S. economic,
diplomatic, global health, and national security interests. The
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
leads implementation of related programs under a Presidential
initiative called ``Feed the Future,'' which is funded through
annual appropriations for Development Assistance (DA) and
Economic Support Funds (ESF) and leverages the expertise of
various stakeholders. While the existing program has achieved
important successes, there is room for greater congressional
oversight and programmatic improvements. H.R. 1567 thus
provides a framework for the prioritization, coordination,
implementation, and oversight of future U.S. foreign assistance
investments in this vital international development sector.
H.R. 1567 affirms that it is in the national security
interest of the United States to promote global food and
nutrition security through a strategy, to be known as the
Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS), that aims to catalyze
economic growth and reduce poverty by: Increasing the
productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of small holder farmers;
promoting land tenure and property rights; building resilience
and local capacity; breaking down the barriers to investment
and trade; improving nutrition among women and children; and
ensuring the effective use of U.S. taxpayer dollars toward
these ends. The GFSS will draw upon the expertise of various
stakeholders and be aligned with USAID's Country Development
Cooperation Strategy for each target country. With improved
strategic planning and coordination, the GFSS will leverage and
complement--rather than duplicate--investments in food and
nutrition security made by the target countries themselves, the
United States, other donors, and the private sector, including
in the areas of governance, global health, trade capacity
building, resource management, science and technology, maternal
and child health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
H.R. 1567 authorizes $1,000,600,000 in Fiscal Year 2016
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations
for the U.S. Department of State and USAID to carry out these
programs, which is equal to the FY 2015 enacted level and $99.4
million below the FY 2014 enacted level.
Finally, the bill enacts authorizing language that has been
carried in annual appropriations bills since FY 2009, which
enables the President, notwithstanding any other provision of
law, to provide assistance to prevent and address food
shortages pursuant to the authorities provided by the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961.
Background and Need for the Legislation
Conflict, hunger, and economic exclusion have proven to be
a highly combustible mix that directly threatens the national
security interests of the United States. Today, a record 60
million people are displaced by conflict, nearly 800 million
people face chronic hunger, and countless would-be
entrepreneurs--particularly women--are denied access to
economic opportunity. From 2007 through 2008, unprecedented
spikes in the price of staple foods across the globe drove an
estimated 150 million people into poverty, sparked riots in 30
countries, and destabilized parts of Africa, South Asia, Latin
America, and the Middle East. In 2010, popular uprisings driven
in part by economic exclusion and fueled by rising food prices
erupted across the Middle East, resulting in the ouster of four
sitting heads of state, the political collapse of Libya, deeper
insecurity across the Maghreb (including a coup in Mali), and
ongoing civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Some predict that this
situation will only worsen, and more countries will be thrown
into chaos, as population growth pushes food prices up and
availability down.
Food and nutrition insecurity also directly impact global
health and economic growth. Malnutrition is the single greatest
contributor to under-five mortality rates in the developing
world and is responsible for roughly half of all child deaths
worldwide. Malnutrition makes mothers and children particularly
vulnerable to malaria and opportunistic infections, and may
increase the risk of HIV infection. The prevalence of food and
nutrition insecurity thus undermines major U.S. investments in
global health which, in Fiscal Year 2015 alone, amounted to
nearly $8.9 billion (excluding emergency funding for Ebola).
Moreover, stunting, a manifestation of severe malnutrition,
results in both physical and cognitive impairments that have
life-long consequences. According to the World Health
Organization, for every 1 percent in reduced physical growth
(height), a ``stunted'' person will experience a 1.38 percent
decrease in productivity. According to the World Bank, that
lost productivity costs developing countries up to 3 percent of
their annual GDP and reduces the lifelong earning potential of
affected children by 10 percent.
Experience shows that countries that are well governed and
embrace inclusive, pro-growth policies tend to be healthier,
more stable, and better trade partners. The United States,
through the work of USAID and the authorities of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, has for more than 50 years worked to
reduce poverty and support the growth of more stable,
democratic societies in the developing world. Unfortunately,
the results of these investments have been mixed and the
obstacles to growth remain substantial.
Since its creation in 1961, USAID has been encumbered by an
ever-growing number of competing priorities and objectives--
some self-imposed, others imposed by Presidential initiatives
and congressional directives--that have diminished its ability
to focus on achieving measurable results. Yet, particularly
following the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) in 2004, USAID has undertaken efforts to become more
strategic and effective. Included among these efforts are: (1)
a commitment to greater transparency, accountability, and
results; (2) a commitment to country ``ownership,'' including
participation from local civil society and the private sector,
in the design and execution of foreign assistance programming;
(3) the building of partnerships with the private sector to
leverage resources and amplify results; (4) a renewed focus on
activities that have the greatest potential to reduce poverty
through market-based economic growth; and (5) the recognition
that, in much of the developing world, growth will be driven by
small holder farmers. H.R. 1567 establishes these principles
and best practices as priorities for U.S. foreign assistance
development and economic growth programs.
Legislative History
Since 2002, and particularly in the wake of the food riots
of 2007-2008, USAID has placed renewed emphasis on agriculture
as an engine for economic growth and security in the developing
world. National security concerns led the administration of
President George W. Bush to seek to strengthen near- and
longer-term food security as a means to foster greater
political stability across the globe that would, in turn, lead
to economic growth and a reduction in hunger and extreme
poverty. The administration began allocating increasing levels
of development assistance to boost productivity in vulnerable
countries, connect small holder farmer to markets, strengthen
supply chains, and promote market-based principles for
agriculture-led development and trade.
Food-insecure countries in Africa received particular
attention. In 2002, President Bush worked with African leaders
to launch the Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA), which
was funded through development assistance, and implemented
through USAID. At the same time, the MCC began making
substantial investments in agriculture-led economic growth
programs, particularly in Africa. However, neither MCC nor the
Peace Corps and the U.S.-African Development Foundation, which
had been making their own investments in food and nutrition
security for decades, were brought into the IEHA coordination
and implementation framework.
Building upon the foundation laid by the Bush
administration, in 2009 President Barack Obama joined other
world leaders at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, to reiterate
the U.S. commitment to international food security. He devoted
additional USAID resources beyond those allocated during the
previous administration, rebranded the IEHA as ``Feed the
Future,'' and expanded the scope beyond the core group of
countries in Africa. Today, the $1,006,000,000 Feed the Future
program, coordinated by USAID, works to reduce poverty and
improve food and nutrition security in 19 focus countries by
taking a market-based approach to agricultural development,
promoting country ownership, and leveraging partnerships with
key stakeholders, including the private sector. It also serves
as an interagency coordination mechanism so that the 11 Federal
departments and agencies implementing related programs can
improve strategic planning, reduce duplication and waste, and
better capture and share lessons learned.
The United States Congress has followed these developments
closely and has provided substantial levels of assistance (in
the form of annual appropriations), but has never authorized a
comprehensive, transparent approach to reducing poverty and
enhancing food and nutrition security in vulnerable developing
countries. H.R. 1567 would better enable Congress to conduct
effective oversight of such programs and ensure that U.S.
foreign assistance is being delivered in the most efficient and
effective manner possible.
Bipartisan efforts to enact a Global Food Security Act were
launched in earnest during the 110th Congress. On May 14, 2008,
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) convened a
hearing entitled, ``Responding to the Global Food Crisis,''
which addressed the need to establish a long-term development
strategy for food security. The hearing was followed by
introduction of S. 3529, the Global Food Security Act of 2008,
on September 22, 2008, which was referred to SFRC.
During the 111th Congress, S. 384, the Global Food Security
Act of 2009, was introduced on February 5, 2009, referred to
SFRC, debated during a hearing entitled, ``Promoting Global
Food Security: Next Steps for Congress and the Administration''
on April 22, 2010, and reported out of committee on May 13,
2009. In the House, H.R. 3077 was introduced on June 26, 2009,
referred solely to the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC),
and debated during hearings entitled, ``A Call to Action on
Food Security: The Administration's Global Strategy'' (held on
October 29, 2009) and ``Oversight of the Feed the Future
Initiative'' (held on July 10, 2010). Discussions continued
during the 112th Congress and on November 28, 2012, SFRC
convened a hearing entitled, ``Evaluating Current U.S. Global
Food Security Efforts and Determining Future U.S. Leadership
Opportunities.''
During the 113th Congress, the Global Food Security Act
took the form of H.R. 2822 (introduced on July 30, 2013, and
referred solely to HFAC), H.R. 5656 (introduced on September
18, 2014, and referred solely to HFAC), and S. 2909 (introduced
on September 18, 2014, and referred to SFRC). H.R. 5656, as
amended, was ordered favorably reported by HFAC on November 20,
2014, and was passed by the House of Representatives on
December 10, 2014. The U.S. Senate did not act on H.R. 5656
before the end of the year.
After several months of consultations with the
administration and key stakeholders, a substantially similar
text was introduced as H.R. 1567 on March 24, 2015, referred
solely to HFAC, and ordered favorably reported on April 23,
2015.
Hearings
Over the past 2 years, the committee has continued its
active oversight of U.S. development, economic, and global
health assistance programs, including 13 hearings related to
the content of H.R. 1567:
October 7, 2015, hearing before the full committee on
``Reforming Food Aid: Desperate Need to Do Better'' (Hon. Dan
Glickman, Vice President and Executive Director, Aspen
Institute Congressional Program, former Secretary, U.S.
Department of Agriculture; Hon. Rajiv Shah, Senior Advisor
Chicago Council on Global Affairs, former Administrator, USAID;
Christopher B. Barrett, Ph.D., David J. Nolan Director, Stephen
B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of
Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University; Rev.
David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World);
October 7, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International
Organizations on ``Food Security and Nutrition Programs in
Africa'' (Carolyn Woo, Ph.D., President and CEO, Catholic
Relief Services; Mr. David Hong, Director of Global Policy, One
Acre Fund; Mr. Roger Thurow, Senior Fellow, Global Agriculture
and Food, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs);
July 9, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International
Organizations on ``Africa's Displaced People'' (Catherine
Wiesner, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of
Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State;
Thomas H. Staal, Acting Assistant Administrator, Bureau for
Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID; John
Stauffer, President, The America Team for Displaced Eritreans;
Ann Hollingsworth, Senior Advocate for Government Relations,
Refugees International; Natalie Eisenbarth, Policy & Advocacy
Officer, International Rescue Committee);
June 16, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on Europe,
Eurasia, and Emerging Threats on ``Reviewing the
Administration's FY 2016 Budget Request for Europe and
Eurasia'' (Alina Romanowski, Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to
Europe and Eurasia, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,
U.S. Department of State; Susan Fritz, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Europe and Eurasia Bureau, USAID; Daniel
Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia, Bureau
of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State;
Hon. Jonathan Stivers, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for
Asia, USAID);
May 20, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia and
the Pacific on ``Everest Trembled: Lessons Learned from the
Nepal Earthquake Response'' (Hon. Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S.
Department of State; Thomas H. Staal, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian
Assistance, USAID; Hon. Jonathan Stivers, Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Asia, USAID; Anne A. Witkowsky,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Stability and
Humanitarian Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense);
April 30, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on the
Western Hemisphere, ``Migration Crisis: Oversight of the
Administration's Proposed $1 Billion Request for Central
America'' (Scott Hamilton, Central America Director, Bureau of
Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Hon.
William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S.
Department of State; Paloma Adams-Allen, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, Latin America and the Caribbean Bureau, USAID;
Hon. Alan D. Bersin, Assistant Secretary and Chief Diplomatic
Officer, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security; Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Tovo, USA, Military
Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Department of
Defense);
April 23, 2015, hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia and
the Pacific on ``The U.S. Rebalance in East Asia: Budget
Priorities for FY 2016'' (Hon. Daniel R. Russel, Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S.
Department of State; Hon. Jonathan Stivers, Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Asia, USAID);
March 17, 2015, hearing before the full committee on ``The
FY 2016 Budget Request: Assessing U.S. Foreign Assistance
Effectiveness'' (Hon. Alfonso E. Lenhardt, Acting
Administrator, USAID; Hon. Dana J. Hyde, CEO, Millennium
Challenge Corporation);
May 20, 2014, hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia and
the Pacific on ``Resourcing the Pivot to Asia: East Asia and
the Pacific FY 2015 Budget Priorities'' (Hon. Daniel R. Russel,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
U.S. Department of State; Denise Rollins, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Asia, USAID);
April 30, 2014, hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia and
the Pacific on ``Assessing U.S. Foreign Assistance Priorities
in South Asia'' (Hon. Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary, Bureau
of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State;
Denise Rollins, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Asia,
USAID);
April 9, 2014, hearing before the full committee on ``U.S.
Foreign Assistance in FY 2015: What Are the Priorities, How
Effective?'' (Hon. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID);
April 9, 2014, hearing before the Subcommittee on the
Western Hemisphere on ``Advancing U.S. Interests in the Western
Hemisphere: The FY 2015 Foreign Affairs Budget'' (Hon. Roberta
S. Jacobson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Western Hemisphere
Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Elizabeth Hogan, Acting
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the
Caribbean, USAID); and
March 25, 2014, hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International
Organizations on ``The First One Thousand Days: Development Aid
Programs to Bolster Health and Nutrition'' (Tjada D'Oyen
McKenna, Acting Assistant to the Administrator in the Bureau
for Food Security, USAID; Lisa Bos, Senior Policy Advisor for
Health, Education, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, World
Vision; Henry Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Associate, Health
Systems Program, Department of International Health, Bloomberg
School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; Carolyn
Wetzel Chen, Chief Grant Development Officer, Food for the
Hungry, Inc.; Sophia Aguirre, Ph.D., Chair, Integral Economic
Development Management Program, Catholic University of America;
and Mehret Mandefro, M.D., Adjunct Professor of Health Policy,
Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington
University).
Committee Consideration
On April 23, 2015, the Foreign Affairs Committee marked up
H.R. 1567 pursuant to notice, in open session. The chairman
obtained unanimous consent to consider the bill en bloc with
Smith 91, an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by
Rep. Smith, and Poe 122, an amendment to Smith 91 offered by
Rep. Poe. The items considered en bloc were agreed to by voice
vote. The committee ordered H.R. 1567, as amended, favorably
reported by unanimous consent.
Committee Oversight Findings
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of Rules of
the House of Representatives, the committee reports that
findings and recommendations of the committee, based on
oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of House Rule X, are
incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report,
particularly in the ``Background and Need for the Legislation''
and ``Section-by-Section Analysis'' sections.
New Budget Authority, Tax Expenditures, and Federal Mandates
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of House Rule XIII and
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (P.L. 104-4), the committee
adopts as its own the estimate of new budget authority,
entitlement authority, tax expenditure or revenues, and Federal
mandates contained in the cost estimate prepared by the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 27, 2015.
Hon. Edward R. Royce, Chairman,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1567, the Global
Food Security Act of 2015.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita
D'Monte, who can be reached at 226-2840.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure
cc:
Honorable Eliot L. Engel
Ranking Member
H.R. 1567--Global Food Security Act of 2015.
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs on April 23, 2015
H.R. 1567 would require the President to develop and
implement a strategy to improve global food security. In
carrying out that strategy, the Administration would provide
assistance to developing countries to reduce chronic hunger and
poverty, support economic growth by expanding agricultural
output, and improve nutrition, especially among women and
children. The strategy would be similar to the Administration's
ongoing global food security initiative called Feed the Future.
The bill also would require the Administration to submit a
detailed progress report to the Congress.
H.R. 1567 would authorize appropriations of slightly more
than $1 billion in 2016 for programs at the Department of State
and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to
implement the strategy. The Department of State and USAID
together plan to use roughly $1 billion of their 2015
appropriation for similar purposes. Based on the historical
spending patterns of similar assistance programs, CBO estimates
that implementing the bill would cost $905 million over the
2016-2020 period, assuming appropriation of the specified
amounts. (Most of the remainder would be spent in subsequent
years.) Based on information from USAID, CBO estimates that
other federal entities involved in implementing the strategy
would not require additional appropriations for that purpose.
Enacting H.R. 1567 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 1567 is shown in the
following table. The costs of this legislation fall primarily
within budget function 150 (international affairs).
By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016-2020
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level 1,001 0 0 0 0 1,001
Estimated Outlays 5 250 350 250 50 905
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
H.R. 1567 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D'Monte.
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Directed Rule Making
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of House Rule XIII, as modified by
section 3(i) of H. Res. 5 during the 114th Congress, the
committee notes that H.R. 1567 contains no directed rule-making
provisions.
Non-Duplication of Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of House Rule XIII, as modified by
section 3(g)(2) of H. Res. 5 during the 114th Congress, the
committee states that no provision of this bill establishes or
reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be
duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was
included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-
139, or a program related to a program identified in the most
recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
Performance Goals and Objectives
H.R. 1567 is intended to reduce hunger and poverty in
developing countries by supporting activities that will
accelerate economic growth, enhance food and nutrition
security, and ensure the effective use of U.S. taxpayer dollars
toward that end. To achieve these goals, the Act requires the
President to develop a food and nutrition security strategy
that leverages the expertise of various stakeholders,
strengthens strategic planning and implementation, focuses on
results, and promotes efficiency, accountability, and learning.
The Act includes robust monitoring and evaluation requirements,
which will enable Congress to conduct effective oversight of
performance and results.
Congressional Accountability Act
H.R. 1567 does not apply to terms and conditions of
employment or to access to public services or accommodations
within the Legislative Branch.
New Advisory Committees
H.R. 1567 does not establish or authorize any new advisory
committees.
Earmark Identification
H.R. 1567 contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax
benefits, or limited tariff benefits as described in clauses
9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of House Rule XXI.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the committee finds the authority for
this legislation in article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1 states the bill's short title: The Global Food
Security Act of 2015.
Section 2 states policy objectives and expresses the Sense
of Congress that it is in the national security interest of the
United States to promote global food and nutrition security
through programs, activities, and initiatives that: Accelerate
agriculture-led economic growth and poverty reduction; increase
productivity, incomes, and livelihoods for small-scale
producers; build resilience to sudden food shortages; improve
the nutritional status of women and children; and ensure
effective use of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Section 3 defines various terms including, appropriate
congressional committees; Federal departments and agencies;
Feed the Future Innovation Labs; food and nutrition security;
target countries; and related technical terms.
Section 4 requires the President to develop and implement a
comprehensive global food security strategy to accomplish the
objectives outlined above. Specifically, the strategy will: Be
aligned with a country developed approach with input from
diverse interests; maximize resources and expertise through
partnerships with U.S. entities in the private, public,
academic, and NGO communities; and include clear criteria for
measuring success and ensuring sustainability. The President
must then coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach,
the efforts of relevant departments and agencies in carrying
out the Global Food Security Strategy, including the
development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
The President must provide the strategy and specific agency
implementation plans to the appropriate congressional
committees by October 1, 2016.
Section 5 authorizes the President, notwithstanding any
other provision of law, to provide assistance to carry out
programs to prevent and address food shortages pursuant to the
relevant authorities under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
It requires rigorous monitoring and evaluation and
authorizes $1,000,600,000 for FY 2016 to carry out the Global
Food Security Strategy. The authorization is equal to the FY
2015 enacted level and $99.4 million below the FY 2014 enacted
level.
Section 6 requires a report, which shall be made publicly
available and include: A summary of the strategy and any
changes made over the preceding year; an assessment of progress
made under the strategy; a description of the indicators used
to measure success and strategies for graduating target
countries from U.S. assistance; a detailed accounting of each
implementing agency's contributions; an explanation of how the
strategy relates to other U.S. food security and development
assistance programs; an assessment of donor coordination;
identification of potential challenges to implementing the
strategy; gender analysis; and plans for updating the strategy
and sharing lessons learned.
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