Political Quotes

“I hope my colleagues who are following this debate in their offices will pause for a moment to consider what we are about. How many times have we come to this Senate Chamber and voted for resolutions, voted for ideas that say we are pledged to fighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa? Sadly, it has almost become commonplace here. We voted for amendments and budget resolutions because, frankly, they are messages we send out for the world to read. But this amendment from the Senator from Wisconsin is real. It is an amendment which comes up with millions of dollars to deal with a crisis that faces the world; not just a crisis facing the United States, it faces the world. This crisis is the AIDS epidemic in Africa. The Senator from Wisconsin visited Africa a week or two before I did last year. We both talked about it. It was a profound, transforming experience to visit a continent that is consumed with disease and to realize that people with whom you are having casual conversations are likely to be the casualty of those diseases. Whether it is AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria, Africa is dying. The question for all of us who live in this prosperity and wealth in the rest of world is whether we care, and if we care, it is not enough to pass a resolution saying we care. The important test is whether we will put our money on the table. That is the test not only for this President and this administration, it is the test for all of us.”