Earl Blumenauer: “with the passage of this landmark legislation, the United States has taken an immense step towards recognizing both the…”

“with the passage of this landmark legislation, the United States has taken an immense step towards recognizing both the severity of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, and our own humanitarian interest in treating and preventing the spread of this disease. The HIV/AIDS crisis is just the tip of the iceberg for health in developing nations. The task of building communities that are safe, healthy and economically secure at home and abroad cannot be achieved when a disabling portion of our global population is sick, orphaned or dying. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is affecting all races, all ages and all nations and we must all work together to solve this serious public health crisis. We have more at stake these days than just dealing with the AIDS epidemic, important as it is. I hope that the thoughtful approach taken by the administration and Congress on this measure will be a template for moving forward in other critical areas we must address, such as homeland security, our stalled economy, and other perilous issues in the international arena.”