Barbara Lee Says PEPFAR Funding Must Go Further
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: February 19, 2008
Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement in response to President Bush’s call to renew the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) ‘as is’ during his visit to Tanzania:
“My colleagues and I are strongly committed to re-authorizing and extending our global HIV/AIDS programs. But renewing PEPFAR in its current form falls short of the global need.
“The Democratic Congress has proposed a minimum of $50 billion to help move our HIV/AIDS programs from emergency to sustainability.
“That means strongly grounding our initiative within other core humanitarian and development assistance programs by specifically supporting food and nutrition for HIV affected communities, strengthening health care systems, recruiting and retaining new health workers, and linking to education and livelihood programs.
“We can't do this work without increasing funding. Unfortunately the Bush administration’s proposed funding level would fail to make these critical connections and keeps the program operating at the status quo.
“I urge President Bush to work with Congress to ensure PEPFAR funding goes further.”
Congresswoman Barbara Lee is Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus a serves on the Appropriations Committee. She co-authored legislation creating the framework for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2000, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003, and legislation on orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in 2005.
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