It was my privilege as Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations to lead a Congressional delegation to Europe & Africa this past week to oversee US investments abroad—from defense operations to global health & food security initiatives.🌍 In Germany 🇩🇪, we received a AFRICOM brief on security cooperation with Africa as well as an update from EUCOM on the latest regarding Ukraine. In Ghana 🇬🇭, we reaffirmed the strong partnership between our two countries through meetings with the President Nana Akufo-Addo & oversight of US projects including the SEKAF Shea Company and Global Shea Alliance and Tema Fishing Harbor/Canoe Beach. In Senegal 🇸🇳, we visited a USAID Feed the Future horticulture program, the USAID Trafficking in Persons Project Wallu Talibe + the Peace Corps Training Center. We also stopped by Goree Island, which memorializes the final exit point of slaves from Africa. In Italy 🇮🇹, we met with the US-UN Rome country team, Vatican country team, and Italy country team and received briefings on the growing food crisis threatening 345 million people globally with food insecurity. I thank all those who we met with on this trip for their contributions to strengthening the U.S. mission abroad, and look forward to returning to committee work and putting our values into action!