Barbara Lee praises $1billion famine relief spending in 2017 Omnibus bill
Congresswoman Lee released the following statement on funding to fight famine in the FY2017 omnibus bill. Last month, Congresswoman Lee circulated a bipartisan letter urging her colleagues to support $1 billion in famine relief:
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“As a senior appropriator who helped lead the bipartisan effort to address the global food crisis, I applaud the inclusion of nearly $1 billion for famine relief in the FY2017 Omnibus bill. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ranking Member Nita Lowey, Congress member Karen Bass, Congressman Tom Rooney, the Congressional Black Caucus, and congressional staff played an instrumental role in ensuring this bipartisan priority received funding. With 20 million people on the brink of starvation, there’s no question that this money will save lives.
“However, this funding alone will not bring peace and economic stability to the four nations currently affected by famine. In the coming months, Congress must also do more to address the underlying conflicts that led to this crisis and show that our commitment to humanitarian assistance is unwavering.”
Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committees, Vice Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and a Senior Democratic Whip. She also serves as chair of the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality and Opportunity.
Additions by Dispatch: Nita Lowery (NY), Karen Bass(CA), Tom Rooney (PA)
