Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the effect of conflict on global food security and famine.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 922) condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the effect of conflict on global food security and famine, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 922, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 922 to condemn the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognize the effect of conflict on global food security.

I thank Chair Meeks for his support and my colleagues, Representatives Peter Meijer, Bobby Rush, and Tracey Mann, for co- leading this with me.

Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have seen how climate change, the pandemic, and conflict fuel food crises around the world in Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, and now this war has exacerbated all of these crises.

In Ukraine, Russia's unprovoked war has left one in three families without enough food and disrupted critical supply chains in the country and around the world.

But we also have to recognize that we shouldn't only sound the alarm and mobilize aid and attention when and where humanitarian crises affect people who look like us. Around the world, especially in some of the poorest countries, millions of people are hungry and suffering as a direct result of Putin's relentless crusade for power.

In the Horn of Africa, the combined effects of climate change, conflict, and rising food prices from Russia's invasion of Ukraine have all exacerbated the rising food crisis, with more than 37 million people, including 7 million children, on the verge of famine as the region endures the longest drought in more than 40 years.

Afghanistan continues to face an acute humanitarian crisis this upcoming winter, where over 95 percent of the population cannot afford to feed themselves or their families.

Haiti imports 70 percent of its food, mainly from Russia and Canada, and is experiencing catastrophic hunger levels, with 4.7 million of the population facing acute hunger.

In Ethiopia, over 20 million people in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and rely on wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia.

In South Sudan, where I traveled earlier this year, 8.3 million people are experiencing severe food insecurity, the most extreme level of food insecurity in the country since it became independent in 2011.

But we have also seen the power of the U.N., diplomacy, and global cooperation in alleviating this crisis. The historic Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was recently extended, has facilitated the export of millions of tons of agricultural exports from Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

I commend Ukraine's new humanitarian initiative, Grain from Ukraine, that came out of the first International Summit on Food Security. It will ship grain to African countries most in need. Governments around the world have already contributed $150 million, with hopefully more to come.

The crisis in Ukraine has made clear why it is so important that we, as a body, recognize the consequences of war on food security, condemn starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, and call on the United States Government--here in Congress and in the administration--to continue addressing these crises and hold perpetrators accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lead this important resolution today, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 922 is an important piece of legislation to put this body on record as condemning the weaponization of hunger around the world and the impact conflict has on global food security.

As the world works together to alleviate multiple crises, this resolution serves as an important reminder of the cost of war and the need to hold perpetrators of starvation accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me and support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 922, ``Condemning the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizing the effect of conflict on global food security and famine Act''.

This resolution condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of warfare. It also calls on the U.S. government to prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is being utilized as a weapon of war, including efforts to ensure that security operations do not undermine livelihoods of local populations to minimize civilian harm.

The United States has always been a nation that espouses human rights. That's a central tenet on which we were founded.

So when we see starvation being used as a weapon of warfare, it is reprehensible to us.

Global food insecurity is of great importance to me because, not only am I a longtime Member of the House Hunger Caucus, I represent the same Congressional District that had been represented by iconic leaders who fought to end hunger in the U.S. and globally.

I am proud to continue the historic legacy of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, who was a champion for human dignity and fought for the rights of all people regardless of race, gender, heritage, or economic status, and Congressman Mickey Leland, who worked tirelessly to raise awareness of, and fight for, policies to end food insecurity around the globe and who, tragically, died in a plane crash while working to end world hunger on a relief mission in Ethiopia.

Starvation is a brutal and inhumane way to force someone to surrender. It's a slow and agonizing death, used by the immoral to gain leverage in a war of attrition and aggression.

Starvation tactics typically target innocent, vulnerable civilians who are not directly a party to the conflict; instead they are merely caught in the crossfire of conflict.

That is why we must adopt this legislation.

The United States government must prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is being utilized as a weapon.

We must show the world that we do not condone this type of behavior and that we will not stand for it.

The United States should prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is being utilized as a weapon.

We must do everything in our power to protect innocent civilians from this barbaric practice.

Starvation is a terrible thing. It's something that nobody should have to go through. And yet, there are people in this world who are starving right now as a consequence of war, or, perhaps worse, as a tool of warfare.

The people of Ethiopia's Tigre Province are being subjected to a truly vile and malicious use of food deprivation in this way. The region was already suffering from drought, and when compounded by forced starvation from denial of access to food as a weapon of war, the effect is heinous and the consequences are unforgiveable.

In Pakistan, food deprivation is compounded by the human toll from recent floods and other natural disasters. Using drought to strategically exacerbate starvation is unacceptable.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine is a global food insecurity tragedy on multiple levels. As Putin wages his war against the people of Ukraine, he uses food as a weapon by destroying the food production and transportation capacity of the country he invaded. At the same time, since Ukraine grows grains and crops that feed much of the world, Putin's devastation of Ukraine's food production infrastructure and takeovers of Ukrainian food exports cause food insecure populations of countless countries to suffer, especially in Africa.

Finally, I condemn the use of government blockades as a weapon of war to deliberately increase starvation.

Government blockades are nothing more than collective punishment, and they're a violation of the human rights of the people who are suffering under them.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution authored by my colleagues, Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Meijer. This resolution condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizes the impact that conflict has on global food security and famine.

Around the world, over 300 million people are in urgent need of food assistance. Many are facing emergency food needs due to years of protracted conflict, whether in Syria, Yemen, the Sahel, Nigeria, or South Sudan.

But shockingly, we are also seeing the increasing use of hunger and starvation as a deliberate weapon of war, with worldwide effects. Ukraine just commemorated the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor famine, which killed millions of Ukrainians at Stalin's direction. Ninety years later, Putin is reviving this evil, targeting wheat fields and grain silos, deliberately seeking to destroy vital sources of food for the Ukrainian people and the world.

The Kremlin's propaganda machine is attempting to blame international sanctions for the worsening global food crisis, but that is a lie. In reality, this crisis is a direct result of Putin's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia uses its influence at the U.N. to exert control over the vital food aid that millions of Syrians rely on in an effort to bolster Bashar al-Assad's brutal grip on power.

In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have weaponized food aid, using it for military gains and personal profit, while millions of Yemenis continue to face famine-like conditions.

These atrocities must be condemned by all people of goodwill. The administration should impose severe penalties on those responsible, including through sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Jacobs and Meijer, Chairman Meeks, and Ranking Member McCaul for introducing this measure and bringing it to the floor. An identical text unanimously passed the Senate in July.

Deliberately starving innocent civilians as a weapon of war must be condemned wherever it occurs. This resolution also condemns the acts of looting, diversion, or other denials of humanitarian access that impede the delivery of lifesaving assistance to populations who need it the most.

Finally, I take this moment to commend the humanitarians who put their lives at risk every day to get food to vulnerable children, women, and men who need it just to stay alive. Their efforts deserve our support, and so does this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 5 of House Resolution 1499, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bills: H.R. 4601, H.R. 4772, H.R. 5943, H.R. 7158, and agree to H. Res. 744 and H. Res. 922.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.