Political Quotes

“This morning, I had the honor of joining Secretary Kerry and hundreds of advocates to mark the 10th anniversary of our global aids program known as PEPFAR. Ten years ago, when the AIDS pandemic was ravaging many African countries, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents put aside our differences and came together to create the largest, most effective foreign aid program to date. I'm very humbled to have played a small role in the creation of PEPFAR and proud about the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus and our chair at that time, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson--even before the world knew about this initiative. And I'm so proud of the role my staff played over the years, including the late, beloved Michael Riggs, whose memory and leadership Secretary Kerry recognized this morning. To quote from a 2002 letter to President Bush, the Congressional Black Caucus called for ``an expanded United States initiative'' to ``respond to the greatest plague in recorded history.'' The next month, in his State of the Union speech, President Bush boldly embraced our call to action. Now, a decade later, PEPFAR's success isn't just measured in terms of dollars spent but in lives saved and communities transformed. ____________________”