Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced the following upcoming committee events:

Wednesday, February 14
Hearing: Modernizing Food Aid: Improving Effectiveness and Saving Lives

10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 14, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable Andrew Natsios
Executive Professor
The Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University
(Former Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development)

Erin Lentz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Public Affairs
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin

The Honorable Dan Glickman
Distinguished Fellow of Global Food and Agriculture
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
(Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “In 2017, conflict and disaster overseas drove an unprecedented number of men, women and children from their homes and pushed more than 70 million people to the brink of starvation. Unfortunately, the situation in 2018 isn’t getting better. Urgent reforms are needed to make U.S. international food aid programs more efficient and effective to save more lives.”

Wednesday, February 14
Subcommittee Hearing: Israel, the Palestinians, and the Administration’s Peace Plan

2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. Clifford D. May
Founder and President           
Foundation for Defense of Democracies 

Mr. Ghaith al-Omari
Senior Fellow
Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

The Honorable Daniel B. Shapiro
Distinguished Visiting Fellow
Institute for National Security Studies
(Former United States Ambassador to Israel) 

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The administration’s decisions to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and reduce U.S contributions to UNRWA have drastically changed the status quo for U.S. policy and in how we approach the peace process. Combined with the region’s shifting attitudes and dynamics, these decisions have generated a wide range of possible scenarios moving forward as well as questions regarding America’s future role. This hearing will provide expert assessments of the latest developments and the perceived administration strategy while allowing members to get a better sense of how Congress can support achieving the longstanding goal of a negotiated and peaceful agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Wednesday, February 14
Subcommittee Hearing: Advancing U.S. Interests Through the Organization of American States

2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14, in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. Thomas Melito
Director
International Affairs and Trade
Government Accountability Office 

Mr. Alfonso Aguilar
President and CEO
International Human Rights Group 

Mr. Peter Quilter
(Former Secretary for Administration and Finance, Organization of American States)

Chairman Cook on the hearing: “The Organization of American States is the oldest multilateral regional organization in the world. The U.S. provides nearly 60 percent of the OAS budget. In response to Congressional requests, the Government Accountability Office conducted two reviews of U.S. aid to Inter-American organizations and found areas needing improvement. This hearing will examine the role of the U.S. Mission to the OAS in advancing U.S. interests, consider how the OAS and these related organizations are following their mandates, and examine ways to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. Today, more than ever, I believe it is critical that we work together with our partners in the region to strengthen the tools we have in the Inter-American system to consistently advance U.S. interests.”

***See www.foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.
***Coverage note: All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-feed.

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