Jeff Fortenberry: “First of all, let me thank my friend and colleague, Chairman Chris Smith, for his steadfast leadership on this issue…”

“First of all, let me thank my friend and colleague, Chairman Chris Smith, for his steadfast leadership on this issue, this important bill, as well as on so many other concerns that affect vulnerable persons around the world. Again, Congressman Smith, you rightly pointed out that Dr. Rajiv Shah, the Agency Director for the United States Agency for International Development, has been steadfast in his leadership on this as well and deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this important bipartisan initiative to save the lives of hurting people around the world. The United States has a decades-long history on food security, and this act--the Global Food Security Act, also known as Feed the Future-- really does three things: it saves lives; it creates sustainable development throughout the world; and it strengthens our own national security by stopping the underlying problems that lead to international instability. Americans are the most generous people in the world. This bill continues our tradition of generosity in a smart, whole-of-government approach that combines the goodwill of the private sector as well as charities for a 21st century approach to development aid. Feed the Future is one of the most cost-effective and results-oriented international development initiatives that we have championed to date. It is the right thing to do.…”