Dick Lugar: “I rise to comment on World AIDS Day, which was on December 1. The global HIV/AIDS pandemic is a humanitarian crisis of…”

“I rise to comment on World AIDS Day, which was on December 1. The global HIV/AIDS pandemic is a humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions. World AIDS Day is a day to remember the millions of lives lost to and devastated by this global pandemic and to strengthen our commitment to fight this disease. Last year, Congress passed legislation that created the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and pledged $15 billion over 5 years to address the HIV/AIDS crisis. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee continues to make HIV/AIDS a priority. Charged with the oversight of the President's initiative, we will continue to hold hearings and briefings on the subject of AIDS and the progress of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Earlier this year, for instance, we held a hearing focused on the intersection of HIV/AIDS and hunger. At this hearing, Ambassador Randall Tobias, the Global AIDS Coordinator, and Jim Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Program, testified about the devastating effects that the HIV/AIDS crisis is having on agricultural workers and the food supply in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, we explored the special nutritional needs of individuals who are taking antiretroviral medication. The theme of World AIDS Day this year, 'Women, Girls, and HIV and AIDS,' is an appropriate one. This disease is having a particularly devastating effect on women and girls around the world.”