September 25, 2023
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the undersigned American maritime labor organizations and the thousands of American licensed and unlicensed merchant mariners and longshore workers we represent we ask that you cosponsor and support HR 4293, the American Farmers Feed the World Act of 2023.
This enactment of this bipartisan legislation will feed millions more people facing famine emergencies while helping to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used to support and benefit America’s farmers, domestic transportation system, American ports and America’s maritime industry which carries at least 50 percent of life-saving food aid shipments to their destination overseas.
As noted by the broad agriculture and maritime coalition supporting this legislation, HR 4293 will end the utilization of cash transfers overseas under the Food for Peace Program, reduce U. S. Agency for International Development overhead costs associated with the implementation and management of the program, preserve resources to purchase life-saving food, and protect at least 50% of the budget to purchase U.S.-grown commodities and delivering them to the destination country.
The enactment of this legislation will help preserve America’s long history fighting global hunger while ensuring that American industry and American workers and farmers will benefit by this use of their tax dollars.
For more information and to cosponsor HR 4293, please contact Riley Pagett in Representative Tracey Mann’s office at riley.pagett@mail.house.gov or Iain Hart in Representative John Garamendi’s office at iain.hart@mail.house.gov
Sincerely,
American Maritime Officers
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
International Longshoremen’s Association
International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots
Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association
Marine Firemen’s Union
Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Sailors’ Union of the Pacific
Seafarers International Union
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO