Welcome. Today i want to discuss a theme that deserves far more attention and that is america is a force for good in the world. Last week the Food Bank Program was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to improve conditions for peace around the world. The wfc is run by executive director david beasley, former governor of softer line who deserves along with his team a huge amount of credit for the organizations success over the past few years. W fp depends completely on voluntary contributions and hes grown his budget from about 6 billion in 2017 to more than 8 billion and 2019. That money translated to real lives saved is what the Nobel Peace Prize reflected w fp now helps feed more than 100 quadrillion people in 80 countries and the United States in the United States has supplied 40 of the w fp budget and by far the greatest contribution from any nation in the world. More than 700, 700, or than 700 times what china has in more than two and half times the second largest co
This room, for guidance from the office of attending physician, masks must be worn at all times during todays proceedings except when a member or witness is speaking. Please also sanitize your seating area. They view these as a safety measure and an important matter of order and decorum for this proceeding. For members participating remotely, please keep your video function on at all times. Even if you are not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting themselves and please remember to mute yourself after you finish speaking. Consistent with House Resolution 965 and the accompanying regulations, staff and members will view it as appropriate when they arent under recognition to eliminate background noise. I see that we have a quorum and i now recognize myself for opening remarks. Let me welcome our witnesses as ive let the Ranking Member know. Ill be going considerably longer than the customary five minutes. My statement this morning and, of course, ill yie
Extraneous material and questions for the record subject to limitation in the rules. To insert something into the record, please have your staff email the previously circulated address or contact full committee staff. As a reminder to members, staff and others physically present in this room, for guidance from the office of attending physician, masks must be worn at all times during todays proceedings except when a member or witness is speaking. Please also sanitize your seating area. They view these as a safety measure and an important matter of order and decorum for this proceeding. For members participating remotely, please keep your video function on at all times. Even if you are not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting themselves and please remember to mute yourself after you finish speaking. Consistent with House Resolution 965 and the accompanying regulations, staff and members will view it as appropriate when they arent under recognition to e
Affairs will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any point and all members will have five days to submit statements, extraneous material and questions for the record subject to limitation in the rules. To insert something into the record, please have your staff email the previously circulated address or contact full committee staff. As a reminder to members, staff and others physically present in this room, for guidance from the office of attending physician, masks must be worn at all times during todays proceedings except when a member or witness is speaking. Please also sanitize your seating area. They view these as a safety measure and an important matter of order and decorum for this proceeding. For members participating remotely, please keep your video function on at all times. Even if you are not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting themselves and please remember to mute yourself aft
Committee will come to order. Next up senator vuroso. I appreciated your comments, Opening Statements specifically related to nord stream 2 and i wanted to ask a bit more about that because we know Energy Security is essential to National Security. Nord stream 2 threatens european Energy Security, increases russian monopoly over the region. To me this pipeline is a russian trap. Strongly support your recent announcement aimed at stopping this dangerous pipeline. Congress is quickly working to provide the administration with additional tools to prevent nord stream 2 from ever being completed. Both the senate and house passed their own versions of the Defense Authorization act. Could you talk about the administrations commitment to opposing the nord stream 2 pipeline and applying sanctions against those companies aiding in the completion of this russian trap . The ironny is this administration is accused of not being tough on russia. This pipeline created enormous leverage for russia not