Christopher Shays: “I oppose the Pitts amendment. I support strongly the attempt by the subcommittee to give the President flexibility to…”

“I oppose the Pitts amendment. I support strongly the attempt by the subcommittee to give the President flexibility to implement prevention programs that fit the countries' current AIDS epidemic. I salute the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. I have been to Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania to see how the program works. Everyone I spoke with pleaded with us to make sure that there was more emphasis on not A, B, but on C, condoms. Young children were asking that this be a factor in their schools. They said sex is going to happen no matter what you say. No matter what you say about abstinence or be faithful, it's going to happen. It is particularly disconcerting to think that someone who has chosen one partner and loves that partner, not knowing that that partner has been unfaithful, and, in fact, has AIDS, transmitting that disease to, in most cases, a young woman. This makes eminent sense. I would like to think that we could get our religious beliefs out of this issue, not talking practically, but talking realistically. If you want to prevent deaths, you need to allow more condoms. If you want to save lives, you need to allow more condoms. If you want to prevent pregnancies, you need to allow more condoms. If you don't want so much interest on other things like whether there should be abortion, you need to have condoms. I weep thinking young kids go to school without teachers and go home without parents.”