Durbin Calls Out House Republicans For Dangerous Effort To Block Reauthorization Of AIDS Relief

Floor Speech

"I don't agree with former President George Bush on many things, but I have given him credit repeatedly for making the United States a leader in stemming the HIV/AIDS pandemic in some of the poorest parts of the world… PEPFAR, and its companion effort, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, dramatically curtailed the AIDS epidemic that was ravaging the world.

These programs are not only the right thing to do, they are also one of the most effective examples of America's soft power and international development efforts… So imagine my concern and surprise that there is currently an effort by extreme Republicans in the House of Representatives to block the reauthorization of this hugely successful, bipartisan, George W. Bush program over a false and manufactured abortion concern. Taking the extreme position of blocking this life-saving program is as shortsighted and nihilistic as siding with Putin and failing to help Ukraine.

Right now, America's reputation on the global stage is being threatened by House Republicans' internal politics. But reauthorizing PEPFAR is common sense to reassure the world that American can push past partisanship and use our influence, resources, and power to save lives. Some things are simply beyond politics.

Former President Bush… wrote in theWashington Post recently, "We are on the verge of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To abandon our commitment now would forfeit two decades of unimaginable progress and rather further questions about the worth of America's words.

I couldn't agree more, and I call on my Republican friends to help reauthorize this historic, bipartisan, lifesaving effort without further delay."

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