A foreign aid program near and dear to the hearts of Kansans is in jeopardy. Food for Peace, a federal initiative that sends commodities and other aid to hungry people overseas, is one of the programs caught in the crosshairs of Doge when US aid was shut down by the Trump administration in February, Congressman Tracy Mann of Kansas says the program actually began in his district in the early 1950s, and he points to the bags of wheat shipped overseas as great tools of diplomacy.
“It comes in a big burlap white bag, and on the front of it, there’s a United States flag, and there’s a picture of two people shaking hands, and below that, in that person’s language, it says, ‘A free gift from the American people.’ And I would just submit to you all, if you are able to feed your child, because you know you’re getting food that comes in bags that say a free gift from the American people, the question would be, are you predisposed to like America or not like America?”
The program changed over time, and Mann says, not necessarily for the better.
“I’ve been disappointed to see how the makeup of the program has really switched from being all commodities, no dollars, actually sending cash overseas, to that pendulum really swung where, in my view, way out of whack, where the purpose of the program was to send American grown commodities to mouths that would been needed overseas, not just to send money. Because when we’re sending American-grown commodities, it’s good for ag producers, it’s good for the shippers, and it’s good for the mouths that will receive them.”
Congressman Mann has put forth a bill to save Food for Peace and bring it back to its roots.
“I authored legislation along with Senator Moran, a good friend for a long time, but to move Food for Peace back. It’s actually moving it back to USDA. So it used to be, originally was at USDA, so we just want to return it home to USDA. Whether it goes to USDA or ends up with the State Department, the most important thing is that the program continues because I think it does good work.”