McDermott Applauds Passage of H.R. 1298,
the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003
For Immediate Release - May 1, 2003

Washington, DC - Rep. Jim McDermott released the following statement after passage of HR 1298, the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003.

"I am very pleased to support this valuable legislation. There is no greater threat to global health than the AIDS epidemic and the opportunistic diseases that accompany it." said McDermott, the chair of the Congressional Task Force on International HIV/AIDS. HR 1298 provides $15 billion over five years to fund AIDS treatment, research and education, focused on Africa and the Caribbean. Of that amount, $1 billion would go to the international Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2004, and up to $5 billion over the next five years. The remainder will fund the President's initiative for Global AIDS Relief. HR 1298 almost triples federal spending to fight AIDS overseas.

"When I lived and worked in Africa in the 1980s, as a regional medical officer for the State Department, I saw the devastation caused by the AIDS epidemic. We are now more than twenty years into this crisis, and it is rewarding to see the Congress begin to see the threat is not simply medical" said McDermott. "In the developing world, these illnesses kill millions of people each year; they are devastating whole generations, and thus condemning many struggling nations to a future of unyielding poverty, shattered families, and a crumbling labor force. The bright spot in this sobering picture is that we now have tools to stem these epidemics, and this legislation provides unprecedented funding to engage the long-range battle.

"Halting the spread of these diseases must be a global undertaking and a global commitment. It is vital we work with the Global Fund, and I am pleased this legislation in effect matches contributions by other nations to this very valuable institution" McDermott said. "HR 1298 requires U.S. contributions to the Global Fund to not constitute more than one-third of total funding-this provides the incentive for Western Europe and other developed nations to contribute.

"Unfortunately, when considered on the floor of the House of Representatives, HR 1298 was amended so that at least one-third of all prevention spending must fund abstinence education programs. This is regrettable because we will be most successful if we employ the broadest offensive we possibly can. I am pleased, however, that the bill does not require that projects funded under HR 1298 conform to the 'Mexico City rule', a restrictive policy that bars organizations offering abortion services from eligibility for funds."