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Rep. Frankel warns of erosion in Women, Peace and Security work and flags Food for Peace transfer risks
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Summary
Rep. Frankel said elements of the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security law are being dismantled and urged enforcement; she also warned that proposed moves of the Food for Peace program to USDA could weaken overseas emergency response.
Representative Frankel (identified in the transcript as the ranking member on the State/foreign assistance subcommittee of Appropriations) told the committee that the bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Act (2017) has practical benefits — including longer-lasting peace when women are involved — but said the administration has "failed to submit the legally required WPS report to Congress" and that some offices and programs have been closed.
"The law is in place, but the executive branch is not following," Frankel said. She urged the committee to help enforce the statute and to ensure continuity of the program across diplomatic and security agencies.
On Food for Peace, Frankel argued the program is "one of the most effective tools for saving lives" overseas and said a proposal to move it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture risks undermining specialized humanitarian expertise. "Food for Peace needs to be used as a tool for, as a foreign service tool," she told the committee and urged close oversight if changes are considered.
Frankel asked the committee to coordinate with Appropriations colleagues and to preserve the program's emergency-response capacity; no administrative witnesses were present to defend or explain implementation decisions in the transcript.
