Posted:
June 17, 2011
The House of Representatives June 15 defeated a farm budget bill amendment that would have eliminated funding of the PL-480 "Food for Peace" program in fiscal 2012.
The amendment, sponsored by Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, failed by a vote of 338-83.
Four additional amendments that targeted PL-480 in various ways were defeated by comparable margins.
Under a 1985 amendment to the Cargo Preference Act of 1954, up to 75 percent of PL-480 food aid exports must be delivered in privately owned and operated U.S.-flagged merchant ships.
"The good news is that, because of the broad bipartisan House majority votes on Wednesday, we still have a PL-480 program to fight for," said AMO National President Tom Bethel. "The bad news is that fiscal 2012 funding remains unsettled."
The agricultural appropriations bill would provide $1 billion for PL-480 in fiscal 2012, which begins next Oct. 1. The amount is $457 million less than that approved for PL-480 in fiscal 2011 and $643 million less than the sum sought for the program in fiscal 2012 by the President.
"We recognize reality," Bethel said. "PL-480 is among the most vulnerable federal programs in the current budget climate, but the proposed fiscal 2012 spending cuts are widely disproportionate to the reductions proposed for other foreign aid programs.
"It was difficult, but our union helped pare a proposed 41-percent PL-480 cut in fiscal 2011 to 11 percent, and we will make every effort to secure adequate PL-480 appropriations in fiscal 2012."
House votes maintain PL-480 Food for Peace program; FY 2012 food-aid funding remains unsettled
The House of Representatives June 15 defeated a farm budget bill amendment that would have eliminated funding of the PL-480 "Food for Peace" program in fiscal 2012.
The amendment, sponsored by Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, failed by a vote of 338-83.
Four additional amendments that targeted PL-480 in various ways were defeated by comparable margins.
Under a 1985 amendment to the Cargo Preference Act of 1954, up to 75 percent of PL-480 food aid exports must be delivered in privately owned and operated U.S.-flagged merchant ships.
"The good news is that, because of the broad bipartisan House majority votes on Wednesday, we still have a PL-480 program to fight for," said AMO National President Tom Bethel. "The bad news is that fiscal 2012 funding remains unsettled."
The agricultural appropriations bill would provide $1 billion for PL-480 in fiscal 2012, which begins next Oct. 1. The amount is $457 million less than that approved for PL-480 in fiscal 2011 and $643 million less than the sum sought for the program in fiscal 2012 by the President.
"We recognize reality," Bethel said. "PL-480 is among the most vulnerable federal programs in the current budget climate, but the proposed fiscal 2012 spending cuts are widely disproportionate to the reductions proposed for other foreign aid programs.
"It was difficult, but our union helped pare a proposed 41-percent PL-480 cut in fiscal 2011 to 11 percent, and we will make every effort to secure adequate PL-480 appropriations in fiscal 2012."