International AIDS Conference

Floor Speech

Ms. PELOSI. I want to join my colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, in acknowledging that this weekend we will begin the International AIDS Conference, which will come to America with a fitting theme: ``Turning the Tide Together.''

It has a long history. In 1990, expert scientists and political officials from across the globe gathered in San Francisco, in my district, for the International AIDS Conference to turn our promise of leadership into progress. Since that time, however, the conference has never returned to an American venue for two decades. The organizers point to our longtime shameful travel ban on those with HIV/AIDS.

Next week, when the conference assembles right here in our Nation's Capital, the world will see how far we've come. Together, we will commit to turning the tide, as the theme indicates, toward the next stage in our fight: fewer infections and a cure and an end to HIV/AIDS.

Consider what this Congress has done: funding the Ryan White CARE Act, creating housing opportunities for people with HIV, and expanding access to Medicaid for people with HIV, but not full-blown AIDS. That's an early intervention. Also, increased investments in research, care, treatment, and intervention by more than half a billion dollars.

And in response to the global challenge and the leadership of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, we have supported global solutions by increasing funds for bilateral AIDS efforts during the Clinton administration; making the first American contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in 2000; and working with Presidents Bush and Obama to establish PEPFAR. I know that it is a great source of pride to President George W. Bush for the leadership he provided, the support he gave, and the pride I think he takes in PEPFAR--and we salute him for that.

President Obama has continued that work, more than doubling the support for global health initiatives and doubling our investment in the Global Fund. These commitments and more have helped families in the United States and the villages of Africa and communities worldwide.

These actions have saved lives, but there's much more to do. With the International AIDS Conference coming to Washington, DC, we have an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the cause of a world without HIV/AIDS. That is the challenge. That is the goal. We can turn the tide together.

After 25 years in Congress, little surprises me anymore; but one thing that does is that after all this time we still do not have a cure. But we're hopeful. And when the AIDS conference opens its doors next week, we must stand united in our pledge to discover a cure and raise an AIDS-free generation. Science is making progress. We have a moral obligation to support that. It has been done in a bipartisan way under President Bush's leadership, under President Clinton, and under President Obama. Hopefully, we can continue to do that.

We can and we must work together to make HIV/AIDS a very, very sad memory and certainly not part of our future. I thank you, Congresswoman Lee, for your tremendous leadership locally and globally and in every way, and certainly in this Congress of the United States.

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