Amends the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to Save Lives of More People Facing Starvation, at a Lower Cost

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, applauded House passage of his amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations Bill to improve U.S. international food aid to help more people facing starvation, at a lower cost.  Specifically, the Royce amendment provides funds for the “Local and Regional Purchase” (LRP) program allowing the U.S. to buy food closer to areas in crisis, reducing transit time and costs.

The LRP program has been recognized as an important food aid reform that will enable the U.S. to respond more quickly at less cost.  Unfortunately, the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, considered by the House, does not fund this important program.  The Royce Amendment fixes this by providing $10 million for the LRP program by reducing funding for the Agricultural Marketing Service, which uses taxpayer dollars to administer food advertising campaigns and other duplicative activities.  

Chairman Royce on the amendment’s passage: “I am pleased that the House has adopted this common sense proposal to improve U.S. international food aid.  In a time of shrinking budgets we are forced to do more with less.  It is crucial that the United States has the tools to respond to humanitarian crises while stretching our food aid dollars further.  From the ongoing crisis in Syria to the devastating typhoon in the Philippines, starving people do not have months to wait for emergency food to arrive.  The Local and Regional Purchase program is a bipartisan tool that been proven to reduce delivery time and costs.  This House-adopted proposal allows us to save the lives of more people facing starvation, at a lower cost.” 

Earlier today, Chairman Royce spoke on the House floor in support of his amendment.  Video is available HERE.