Bill Lee

To say that we weren't part of this in terms of allowing Alan Gross to be--to work on a project and you didn't disclose in the contract that he could be subject to arrest based on the laws of another country I think is outrageous.

Some of us believe that you do and that the whole goal is regime change.

I want you to, or at least I am encouraging you to look at other countries and review other countries where we have significant global and HIV funding which also have similar laws on the books

I am concerned, however, that PEPFAR really has been flat funded for a couple of years in your budget

Thank you very much. Dr. Collins, let me ask you a couple of things about sickle cell research.

Last August, I along with 80 of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives sent you a letter expressing our support for NIH funding of social, behavioral, and economic research

So that is one of the missions of the Institute, yet the funding does not seem to follow the huge job that we have asked you to do.

We will be getting a letter, yes. And again, it should have come much sooner than this.

Thank you. And still no cure.

The cessation of smoking, of course, is the number one preventive behavior change.

The fact that minority health disparities continue to be a big issue, you know, to me warrants a larger increase in its budget.

I just wanted to mention a couple of things. I have a mother who is 89 with COPD.

This subcommittee really is the subcommittee that can address issues as it relates to poverty and income inequality.

I can't sit here and let you say that you didn't get, we didn't get bipartisan support when, in fact, the President and our leadership reached out, incorporated many of your suggestions.

Despite overwhelming public support, we have really been unable to act on something as noncontroversial as background checks.

I am really worried about these budget cuts and the fact that it doesn't really now appear that that is a priority.

I want to thank you, Chairman Kingston and Ranking Member, for this very important hearing today.

Also I have heard from hospitals in California that there is really a need for more sustained funding for coordination with hospital preparedness programs as it relates to sort of an integrated training with local and Federal responders.

I would like to see a report as it relates to minority-serving institutions, how they fare.

I guess I wanted to ask a few questions first with regard to partnerships with research universities as it relates to research on infectious diseases and treatments.

I want to see how that is working and if, in fact, that has been a priority within your funding mechanism.

I know how State and USAID conduct their contracting, and you-all have a pretty dismal record in terms of contracting with minority and women-owned businesses.

And to our ranking member Mr. Engel, thank you so much for your continued leadership as it relates to the Caribbean region.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you once again for your leadership and also for your assistance last Congress in getting our legislation, Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, passed, and I look forward to working with you on this…

I served on this committee for over 10 years, and with Chairman Hyde and Chairman Lantos, and I am glad to see it still remains bipartisan.