Political Quotes

“Let me thank our chairwoman for yielding and for her leadership, and just say, as one of the authors of the PEPFAR legislation, I actually helped write the majority of this legislation. I can tell you that while I did not agree nor support the 33 percent earmark, I know for a fact that this does not undo that earmark. Let me just tell you a couple of things. You probably have heard, and you know that over the next 10 years, more than 100 million girls in developing countries will be married before their 18th birthday, and often against their will. As currently written, the bill does not change the underlying abstinence-until-marriage earmark. For me that's unfortunate, but it doesn't change that. And it does not require the President to make any changes to current prevention funds. The current language merely provides the President with the flexibility to plan the most appropriate and sensitive and required program for countries per their request. The fact is, the administration has already waived, you're right, application of the abstinence earmark for certain countries receiving assistance under our global AIDS programs. But I want you to remember, ABC does mean abstinence, be faithful, use condoms. For many of these young girls, abstinence is not an option. And we must provide them with what they need to protect themselves. ABC is ABC. The Lowey language provides a very practical, commonsense, 1-year fix, mind you, 1 year.”