March 17, 2005
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced a bill intended to emphasize the importance of assisting India in its fight against AIDS by adding it as the 16th country under the authority of the Global AIDS Coordinator.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Jim Leach (R-IA) and Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), the Chair and Ranking Member of the House International Relations Asia Subcommittee, as well as Tom Lantos (D-CA), Ranking Member of the IR Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Co-Chairs of the House India Caucus and Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
“It is important that we move to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in India,” said Lee. “India is at a turning point in this fight, and we should stand ready to help the Indian people. We need to do this now.”
Lee’s bill would give Ambassador Randall Tobias the mandate to move more aggressively with US assistance to combat the growing AIDS epidemic in India. Senator Corzine is expected to introduce a companion bill in the Senate today.
As the world’s largest democracy with a population of over one billion people, the Republic of India stands at a crossroads in its response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. UNAIDS estimates that 5 million people may already be infected, putting India just behind South Africa as the country with the largest total disease burden. According to the National Intelligence Council, without the urgent implementation of a sizable, coordinated, and sustained response to the epidemic, India could have as many as 25 million cases of HIV/AIDS by the end of the decade.
Lee first introduced this legislation in the House in the 108th Congress. She was convinced, after traveling to India in January, 2004 that the US should do more to assist India in fighting this pandemic.
Lee’s accomplishments in promoting effective, bipartisan measures to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring treatment to the infected have earned her recognition both at home and abroad as a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Lee was a leader in the bipartisan effort to designate $15 billion for the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. She authored the bill to establish the framework for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS and sponsored legislation that allows impoverished countries to purchase generic, cheaper HIV/AIDS drugs.
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Barbara Lee Introduces Bill to Help India Fight AIDS
Bipartisan Bill Would Add India to U.S. Global AIDS Focus List
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced a bill intended to emphasize the importance of assisting India in its fight against AIDS by adding it as the 16th country under the authority of the Global AIDS Coordinator.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Jim Leach (R-IA) and Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), the Chair and Ranking Member of the House International Relations Asia Subcommittee, as well as Tom Lantos (D-CA), Ranking Member of the IR Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Co-Chairs of the House India Caucus and Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
“It is important that we move to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in India,” said Lee. “India is at a turning point in this fight, and we should stand ready to help the Indian people. We need to do this now.”
Lee’s bill would give Ambassador Randall Tobias the mandate to move more aggressively with US assistance to combat the growing AIDS epidemic in India. Senator Corzine is expected to introduce a companion bill in the Senate today.
As the world’s largest democracy with a population of over one billion people, the Republic of India stands at a crossroads in its response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. UNAIDS estimates that 5 million people may already be infected, putting India just behind South Africa as the country with the largest total disease burden. According to the National Intelligence Council, without the urgent implementation of a sizable, coordinated, and sustained response to the epidemic, India could have as many as 25 million cases of HIV/AIDS by the end of the decade.
Lee first introduced this legislation in the House in the 108th Congress. She was convinced, after traveling to India in January, 2004 that the US should do more to assist India in fighting this pandemic.
Lee’s accomplishments in promoting effective, bipartisan measures to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring treatment to the infected have earned her recognition both at home and abroad as a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Lee was a leader in the bipartisan effort to designate $15 billion for the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. She authored the bill to establish the framework for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS and sponsored legislation that allows impoverished countries to purchase generic, cheaper HIV/AIDS drugs.
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