PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.
H.Res.421 / 115th Congress

Urging the Administration to develop more effective and timely responses to famine in Africa, especially efforts to end the conflicts in South Sudan, Nigeria, and other countries that cause or exacerbate famine.

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1015-1016)

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 28, 2017

Calls for the U.S. government to:

use all available leverage to achieve lasting, comprehensive cease-fires in cases of conflict in Africa;

work with governments to facilitate disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of combatants;

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

Read full official summaryShow less

use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to sanction individuals or entities responsible for initiating or prolonging conflict, endangering humanitarian aid workers, or preventing delivery of humanitarian aid;

apply all available weather and crop information to more accurately predict incipient drought and to determine the likelihood of famine in conflict areas;

collaborate with other donor nations to accelerate the provision of food, clean water, medicine, and shelter to those in need;

expand the prepositioning of aid commodities in safe zones close to the famine region;

provide assistance to farmers, herders, and fishermen; and

use cash transfers to more quickly provide food aid where local markets exist and to support the functioning of local markets.

Urges governments in affected African countries to:

establish effective cease-fires and use force thereafter only when government forces or facilities or civilians are under attack;

identify and take actions against individuals and entities that actively threaten peace and safety;

work with civil society to help end conflict at the grassroots level and effect reconciliation;

take specifed actions to promote the delivery of food, clean water, medicine, and shelter;

protect humanitarian aid workers; and

safeguard agricultural areas and farm personnel.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · R–NJ

Committees

  • Foreign Affairs Committee
5 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1015-1016)

  2. Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

  3. Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Introduced in House

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Jan 23, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze H.Res.421 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine H.Res.421 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine H.Res.421 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine H.Res.421 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources