Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2005

FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 15, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 715 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 4818.

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Ms. WATERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Lee amendment to add $800 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is having a devastating impact on Africa and the world. Over 60 million people have been infected by the AIDS virus since the beginning of the epidemic, and 42 million people are currently living with this dreadful disease. Approximately three million people died of AIDS last year, and another five million people became infected with HIV.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has already curtailed the economic development of many countries in Africa. AIDS is responsible for shortages of skilled workers and teachers, high rates of absenteeism and labor turnover, and the deaths of workers and managers throughout business and government. Teachers and other skilled workers can be very difficult to replace. Tragically, in some parts of Africa, employers even find it necessary to hire two workers for every job opening, because they expect one of them to die of AIDS.

On May 1, 2003, the House passed H.R. 1298, "the Global AIDS Bill," which authorizes appropriations of $3 billion per year over five years for global HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention efforts. This bill, which is critically needed and long overdue, was signed into law by the President on May 27 of last year. However, it has never been fully funded.

According to UNAIDS, HIV/AIDS has spread rapidly in Eastern Europe, and gained a strong foothold in India and China over the past year. Fortunately, there has been progress, as infection rates actually fell last year in a few hard-hit areas of Africa. Without adequate funding, however, our progress will be short-lived.

I urge my colleagues to support the Lee amendment.