Date: 2003-05-01
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 210 is a structured rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 1298. the United States Leadership Against HIV/ AIDS. Tuberculosis. and Malaria Act of 2003. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on International Relations. Additionally. this rule makes 11 out of 13 amendments submitted to the Committee on Rules in order. Nearly half. 5 of the 11 of the amendments made in order were sponsored by members of the minority party. This is a fair rule that will allow all Members ample opportunity to debate the important issues associated with this bill. The underlying legislation is as crucial as I think it is timely. The AIDS pandemic has affected the world like no other in recent history. The epidemic has claimed. just in the year 2002 alone. more than 3 million lives. I think we need to pause for a second and think about what that means. 3 million lives in one year. Also. an estimated 5 million people acquired the virus. the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV. in 2002. according to the best estimate. bring..ig the number of people globally living with the virus to over 40 million. This is. by all means. by every conceivable estimation. a catastrophe. However. this is not just a moral question. this critical situation has begun to threaten the security of the world. especially the developing world. The fragile governments often do not have the resources or the capability to handle threats as dangerous and as growing as this one. If states in the developing world begin to implode. collapse. the effects on the United States national security and on the security of the international community could be absolutely disastrous. A state absent of all order makes for a perfect climate for terrorists and drug traffickers to grow their enterprises to develop their enterprises. For example. Mr. Speaker. in key states in Africa. including Nigeria. South Africa and Kenya. it has been reported that over a third of their armed forces may be infected with this deadly virus. This is an inconceivable catastrophe. The pandemic of AIDS also threatens on the prospects for democracy and economic prosperity. especially in Africa. According to the U.S. National Intelligence Council. "AIDS and the health problems associated with AIDS will hurt prospects for transition to democratic regimes as these problems undermine civil society. hamper the evolution of sound political and economic institutions. and intensify the struggle for power and resources." The National Intelligence Council also estimates that the disease could reduce gross domestic product in some subSaharan African countries by 20 percent or more by the year 2010. We should consider the following fact from the most recent U.N. aids epidemic update. "In 4 southern African countries national adult HIV prevalence has risen higher than thought possible. exceeding 30 percent." If the necessary investments. Mr. Speaker. to combat this pandemic is not made today. there will undoubtedly be significantly higher costs for all. including for the United States in the future. It is time for the Congress to act. At the podium before you. Mr. Speaker. the President. President George W. Bush. laid before Congress a bold viEion in his State of the Union address. This legislation will make President Bushs vision a reality. The underlying legislation authorizes $3 billion for the executive branch. for the President under his leadership to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide in each of the next 5 years for a total of $15 billion. Additionally. this legislation will create the position of coordinator for HIV/AIDS assistance at the State Department to administer the Global AIDS Initiative Fund. Response to the AIDS crisis cannot come too soon when one considers the far reaching effects of this horrible disease. A fact that gives us all pause is that. for example. in Malawi alone. some 470.000 children under the age of 15 have been orphaned by AIDS. The underlying bill supports United States participation in the global fund and specifically authorizes up to $1 billion in fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary through 2008. The underlying legislation was reported favorably out of committee by a bipartisan vote of 37 to 8. I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois