Pocan, Krishnamoorthi, Amo, 49 Colleagues Slam Rubio’s Decision to Incinerate Food Aid
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Gabe Amo (RI-01) led a letter with 49 of their colleagues to Secretary of State Marco Rubio opposing his decision to withhold nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food aid and instead incinerate those supplies once they expire.
“As you know, these rations were designed to nourish vulnerable children in conflict-affected regions such as Afghanistan and Pakistan,” the Members wrote. “This action is not only morally indefensible, but also wasteful, strategically shortsighted, and completely counter to the entirety of your work while in the Senate.”
“We understand that instead of delivering this emergency assistance to malnourished children as originally intended, the State Department will destroy the biscuits at an additional cost to the taxpayer of $130,000,” the Members continued. “According to reporting in the Atlantic, USAID employees and inventory data say this food could have fed 1.5 million children for a week. Given the alarming rates of food insecurity and famine in regions like Gaza and Sudan, the decision to burn lifesaving aid produced by American farmers and paid for by American tax dollars amounts to a tragic abdication of our global humanitarian responsibilities and hurts our own global interests.”
“The United States has long led the world in humanitarian assistance, not only as a matter of compassion but also as a cornerstone of global stability and diplomacy,” the Members concluded. “Destroying aid that could save lives undermines that legacy and damages our standing in the international community. We urge you to immediately prioritize the distribution of all remaining and viable food assistance stockpiles. American leadership demands nothing less.”
A full copy of the letter can be found here.
The list of signers includes: Pocan, Mark; Krishnamoorthi, Raja; Amo, Gabe; Barragán, Nanette; Bera, Ami; Beyer, Donald; Bonamici, Suzanne; Brownley, Julia; Brown, Shontel; Carson, André; Casar, Greg; Case, Ed; Castro, Joaquin; Cohen, Steve; Crow, Jason; Davis, Danny; DeGette, Diana; Doggett, Lloyd; Evans, Dwight; Foushee, Valerie; Friedman, Laura; Garamendi, John; Jackson, Jonathan; Jayapal, Pramila; Johnson, Julie; Kaptur, Marcy; Khanna, Ro; Latimer, George; Magaziner, Seth; McBath, Lucy; McBride, Sarah; McCollum, Betty; Moore, Gwen; Moulton, Seth; Nadler, Jerrold; Norton, Eleanor; Omar, Ilhan; Peters, Scott; Pettersen, Brittany; Ramirez, Delia; Raskin, Jamie; Scanlon, Mary Gay; Schakowsky, Janice; Simon, Lateefah; Sorensen, Eric; Subramanyam, Suhas; Takano, Mark; Thompson, Mike; Tlaib, Rashida; Velázquez, Nydia; Vindman, Eugene; Williams, Nikema