James T. Callahan: “Mr. Speaker, I have received broad bipartisan support for the appropriations account I created several years ago for…”

“Mr. Speaker, I have received broad bipartisan support for the appropriations account I created several years ago for child survival and disease programs. This funding is intended to help protect the children of the world and to help stem the tide of infectious diseases that threaten both our children and ourselves. We provided funding of $600 million for these activities in fiscal year 1997. Although the administration proposed to slash these funds by $44 million in 1998, we rejected that cut. In fact, we added $50 million, for a total of $650 million, to the child survival and disease programs fund, in order to focus on the growing problem of infectious diseases throughout the world. Even before this year's initiative, the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs launched an effort 3 years ago to wipe out polio throughout the world. We are providing $25 million a year to assist Rotary International to fulfill its noble goal of eliminating this disease in Asia and Africa. That goal is within our grasp, and I am pleased that the subcommittee has been able to assist Rotary Clubs from around the Nation in this program. But that is not enough. Tuberculosis continues to strike young people and children throughout the world. In fact, up to 30 million people may die from this disease in the next decade.”