Political Quotes

“I thank my good friend for yielding. Mr. Chair, the State-Foreign Operations bill under consideration today continues and strengthens the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, for another year, fiscal year 2024, ensuring that critically needed medicines, including antiretrovirals, or ARVs, and other lifesaving interventions are available to those who need them in Africa and elsewhere. Mr. Chair, I especially thank Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart and the Committee on Appropriations for insisting that the noble purpose of PEPFAR is not compromised or undercut by integrating and merging other agendas, including and especially the promotion of abortion by massively funding pro-abortion foreign nongovernmental organizations and instructing them to repeal pro-life laws. To that end, the new State Department bill reinstates the protecting life and global health assistance policy, also known as the Mexico City policy. Sadly, upon assuming office, President Biden repealed Ronald Reagan's old Mexico City policy, which ensured that PEPFAR's over $6 billion a year in taxpayer grant money wasn't subsidizing foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortion. Biden's PEPFAR Core Program--and this needs to be underscored because some people say they are not doing it-- says they promote protecting sexual reproductive health and rights, including the ongoing rescission of the Mexico City policy.…”