Ander Crenshaw

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mary Gaile Edwards Wingard, who died peacefully in the presence of her beloved family on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Gaile was a pillar of the Jacksonville community. An avid volunteer and both loving mother and grandmother, she was dearly loved by everyone who knew her. The First Coast will truly miss this incredible woman.

With a ready smile, quick wit, and abundant southern charm, Gaile made everyone she met feel at ease. She lived her life with a passionate devotion to her loved ones and her family. Whether it was volunteering for one of the numerous organizations around town or simply living the role of loving grandmother, Gaile never did anything half-way. Jacksonville will be forever thankful for her selfless dedication.

Gaile's quiet strength and loving spirit will long be remembered by our city. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Joseph Theodore Wingard, Jr.; her children, Joseph Theodore Wingard III and his wife Pam, Jonathan David Wingard and his wife Heather, and Katherine Wingard Sherman and her husband Nate; her grandsons, Matthew Alexander Wingard, Jonathan Michael Wingard, Jonathan Ramsay Wingard, Joseph Theodore Wingard, Nathaniel Alden Sherman, Jr., and an unborn granddaughter to be named Beatrice Gaile Sherman; her sister Jeanne Edwards Yarborough; and six nieces.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Wingard family. I am forever grateful to have known such an amazing woman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in strong support of H.R. 5656, the Feed the Future Global Food Security Act of 2014, on the eve of passage of the Fiscal Year 2015 Omnibus that provides just over $1 billion to the Feed the Future Program. The passage of this bill would authorize this USAID program for one year at just under Fiscal Year 2014 level, bringing stability to this successful program while giving Congress future oversight.

Feed the Future through its whole-of-government approach has been successful in promoting both agricultural-based and market-based development and in improving the nutrition of women and children. This creates healthy populations and gives livelihoods to these families, both of which grow these developing economies.

The focus on food security and agriculture development of Feed the Future started during the Bush Administration and has continued through today.

But, Mr. Speaker, today more than 800 million people around the world still suffer from chronic hunger. Many of the world's poor live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for a living, and growth in the agriculture sector is one of the best ways to spur the kind of economic growth that reduces poverty.

In 2013 alone, Feed the Future reached more than 12.5 million children with nutrition interventions to help ensure a stronger and more successful future. It has helped nearly 7 million farmers and food producers use new technologies and management practices. And it has leveraged more than $10 billion through complementary efforts in private sector commitments in African agriculture--the majority from African businesses.

With broad support from U.S. universities, NGOs, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and beneficiaries, Feed the Future authorization offers an opportunity for Congress to put its stamp on this program and ensure that we have the appropriate oversight measures in place.

Passage of this legislation will demonstrate that we are serious about finding commonsense solutions to one of the world's greatest challenges--hunger--creating economic stability overseas that will benefit the American people as well.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 5656, the Feed the Future Global Food Security Act of 2014.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rogers for yielding me this time, and I thank him for his leadership in this appropriations process.

As chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, let me highlight a few areas in our part of the bill.

Overall, we reduce spending by $246 million in an effort to rein in the out-of-control spending. Some areas are increased, some are decreased. For instance, law enforcement receives an increase. Drug abuse prevention receives an increase. Small business receives an increase, as does women's business centers. They help grow our economy and create jobs.

On the other hand, there are some agencies that don't do so well. They waste taxpayer dollars and become ineffective. I think a lot of people agree that the Internal Revenue Service has betrayed the trust of the American people. They have wasted taxpayer dollars. They have singled out individuals and groups of individuals based on their political philosophy, and they have not cooperated with congressional investigation. Therefore, their funding is reduced by $346 million.

All in all, it is a balanced approach. We spend less money than we spent last year. It is a good portion of the bill.

Let me take a moment to say thank you to Rodney Frelinghuysen, chairman of the Defense Subcommittee upon which I sit. I want to thank him for his tireless work in this area, for allowing members like me to help draft legislation that clearly puts our men and women in uniform first, clearly helps save lives by making sure that we have the best qualified, the best trained, the best equipped military, and it makes all Americans safer.

All in all, it is a great bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.