On the recordMay 22, 2017
As I stand here, our world stands at a crossroads. As I stand here, 20 million stand at risk of starvation at the hands of what has the potential to become the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II: famine in South Sudan and impending famine in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. Additional funding is needed to avert the destabilization of entire regions and to support refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of Members proposed that the U.S. allocate $1 billion in emergency funding for famine response. Thanks to those efforts, Congress pledged to provide $990 million in emergency funding in fiscal year appropriations. Foreign aid is an investment. It makes our country, and those overseas fighting for us, dramatically safer. With leadership comes responsibility. Providing aid is a moral imperative. ____________________
