No Russian Agriculture Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 4768, the No Russian Agriculture Act. I thank Chairman McHenry for his support of my bill and his efforts to get it to the House floor. I certainly appreciate the ability to start the new year on this bipartisan note.

Over nearly 2 years, Russia's unprovoked and criminal war against Ukraine--led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, his military, and his mercenaries--has inflicted tremendous harm to Ukraine's people and infrastructure.

Among its many horrific acts, Russia has endeavored to strangle Ukraine's economy by restricting the country's exports, including those of its agricultural sector, which is critical to maintaining the world's food supply.

Prior to the war, Ukraine was the world's fourth largest corn exporting country and the fifth largest wheat exporting country. Annually, 400 million people were fed with Ukrainian food products with more than 50 nations receiving those goods. It is why Ukraine has been called the breadbasket of Europe.

Russia previously agreed to the Black Sea grain initiative, pledging to allow for Ukrainian commercial food and fertilizer exports from three Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

In July of last year, however, Russia withdrew from that initiative, causing global food prices to spike and hunger and pain around the world. Since then, Russia has attacked ports and grain stores in Ukraine, limiting the entrance of its agricultural products into the global market.

Today, Russia is not only trying to unjustly seize Ukrainian land, but it is also trying to sell its own grain and stolen Ukrainian grain into the world's market to support its war efforts.

This bill will help to push back on Russia while also increasing grain supply resiliency in the face of the shocks that Russia is causing in the world's agricultural markets. Specifically, H.R. 4768 would require the Treasury to press the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other multilateral development banks to fund projects that decrease the reliance that countries around the world have on Russian agricultural commodities, particularly fertilizer and grain.

Doing so will help to undercut the financing of Russia's war and will help to improve global resiliency to the food supply disruptions that are caused by Russian President Putin.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4768, and I reserve the balance of my time.

The brutality that Russia has unleashed upon the Ukrainian people is having profound effects in Ukraine and around the world. This includes significant cuts to global food supply and steep prices for countless foods and fertilizers.

This bill provides a novel way for the United States to further counter Russia; to stand with our fellow democracy, Ukraine; to reduce the world's reliance on Russian food; and to undercut Putin's use of food as a weapon. However, I would emphasize that this bill is not a substitute for providing additional funding for Ukraine so that it can stand up to Putin and his invasion. Congress must come together to stand behind Ukraine and to display U.S. strength in the face of injustice.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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