Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleagues to support H. Res. 593, a bipartisan resolution reaffirming our national commitment to ending pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide. It is a resolution that I introduced with my friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The fight against pediatric AIDS is a great example of how our country is a positive and transformative force in the lives of many across the world. Because of our leadership here in the United States over the past 12 years, there has been a 62 percent increase in the number of women receiving mother-to-child transmissions prevention services. Wow. Thanks to positive American involvement through programs like PEPFAR, more than 11.5 million expectant mothers around the world have received HIV testing and counseling, and nearly 2 million babies have been born HIV-free. However, even though we have made great strides in a fight against pediatric AIDS over the last few years, we cannot rest, Mr. Speaker. We cannot rest while more than 400 children around the world are born with HIV every day; 400. We cannot rest when less than half of the children suffering from HIV have access to the lifesaving treatments they so desperately need; less than half. Indeed, we must redouble our efforts to reach every single mother and child impacted by this terrible disease. For this reason, my friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and I just reintroduced H. Res.…”