Political Quotes

“as we all know, this week the President is in Africa visiting five countries and describing his personal commitment to combating the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, among other things. This is a good thing. Just 6 weeks ago the President signed into law H.R. 1298, the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003, to provide $15 billion over 5 years to 12 African countries and Haiti and Guyana in the Caribbean. Throughout the debate on this bill, which Uganda's approach to its own AIDS epidemic was highlighted very prominently as a model for the bold initiative that we were proposing and for our heavy reliance on the ABC model of prevention. That is, abstain, be faithful, or use a condom. People on the ground in Uganda were telling us that while the message of the ABC model was important in helping to drive down infection rates and raise awareness of this disease, it was equally important that Uganda's President Museveni exerted strong political leadership in combating the disease and for the country to engage in a frank and open dialogue about sex and how the disease is transmitted. But when we were debating this bill, the administration and social conservatives in this body put their own spin on Uganda's AIDS efforts by claiming that it was primarily the practice of abstinence that had reduced Uganda's rates from 15 percent to 5 percent in over 10 years despite evidence to the contrary.”