James A. Leach: “Mr. Speaker, this is principally a humanitarian issue. Secondarily, but accurately, as the President has suggested, it…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is principally a humanitarian issue. Secondarily, but accurately, as the President has suggested, it is a national security threat. Tertiarily, it is an economic challenge. According to the Global AIDS Policy Coalition at Harvard, AIDS has already cost the world GDP in excess of $500 billion. I raise this cost issue because frequently, in legislative bodies, we have to consider cost-benefit analysis. It is clear that the cost to eradicate and cure this disease is less than the cost of the disease itself in GDP terms. More importantly, it is far more costly in terms of lost minds and lost souls. Mr. Speaker, this is the first significant new step emanating from Congress to deal with this disease. The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) has valid concerns about how much we are dedicating to it. Hopefully, this step can be built upon in the future. In conclusion, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) and her dedication to this cause.”