January 29, 2003
Lee, Chair of the CBC’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS and the author of a joint CBC December letter to Bush that called for dramatically increased funding for fighting HIV/AIDS, was pleased that the Bush Administration finally pledged to commit a serious level of resources to the pandemic. "It's about time that this Administration addresses the AIDS pandemic in Africa at the kind of major national forum that it deserves. I welcome the President's announcement to treat 2 million people living with HIV."
Lee reserved final judgment until she had seen specifics of Bush’s proposal. "Next week I will be examining the President's budget request very closely to determine where exactly this money is coming from, how it is administered and who it is targeted for. I will specifically be looking at whether his plan provides the Global Fund with the money it needs to continue operating."
Lee expressed disappointment that Bush designated only $1 billion of the $10 billion in new monies to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria. "With an estimated need of $6.2 billion through 2004, the US should provide $2.2 billion of that amount with FY'03 and FY'04 funding, so that the fund can continue operating," said Lee.
Lee also wanted to make sure that the plan actually removed barriers of access to generic drugs. She said, "We must live up to the spirit of the Declaration on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) that we agreed to in WTO negotiations at Doha in 2001. Only with these generic drugs can we truly reach the people with the greatest need living in Sub-Saharan Africa."
Lee also discussed other standards that had to be met by the President’s proposal. "We must also provide debt relief to countries heavily affected by AIDS, by expanding the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative, so that countries can match the President's proposal with their own funds. I urge the President to incorporate debt cancellation into his proposal."
"I will also be looking very carefully at the President's proposed time-line for rolling out this money, and I would that stress that the sooner we can use the money that the President has pledged, the sooner that we will be able to fight this horrendous pandemic. I am concerned, though, that this money will be taken out of some other account. We cannot afford to rob Peter to pay Paul."
Following the HIV/AIDS Press Conference, Congresswoman Lee also appeared in a CBC/Congressional Hispanic Caucus joint press conference, in a response to the State of the Union
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressional Black Caucus Address President Bush’s Global HIV/AIDS Proposal Given in State of the Union
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) joined with her Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) colleagues in a press conference on Global HIV/AIDS. Much of the discussion centered around President Bush’s HIV/AIDS proposal, which he made in last night’s State of the Union address and one that the CBC has aggressively pushed for several years.Lee, Chair of the CBC’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS and the author of a joint CBC December letter to Bush that called for dramatically increased funding for fighting HIV/AIDS, was pleased that the Bush Administration finally pledged to commit a serious level of resources to the pandemic. "It's about time that this Administration addresses the AIDS pandemic in Africa at the kind of major national forum that it deserves. I welcome the President's announcement to treat 2 million people living with HIV."
Lee reserved final judgment until she had seen specifics of Bush’s proposal. "Next week I will be examining the President's budget request very closely to determine where exactly this money is coming from, how it is administered and who it is targeted for. I will specifically be looking at whether his plan provides the Global Fund with the money it needs to continue operating."
Lee expressed disappointment that Bush designated only $1 billion of the $10 billion in new monies to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria. "With an estimated need of $6.2 billion through 2004, the US should provide $2.2 billion of that amount with FY'03 and FY'04 funding, so that the fund can continue operating," said Lee.
Lee also wanted to make sure that the plan actually removed barriers of access to generic drugs. She said, "We must live up to the spirit of the Declaration on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) that we agreed to in WTO negotiations at Doha in 2001. Only with these generic drugs can we truly reach the people with the greatest need living in Sub-Saharan Africa."
Lee also discussed other standards that had to be met by the President’s proposal. "We must also provide debt relief to countries heavily affected by AIDS, by expanding the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative, so that countries can match the President's proposal with their own funds. I urge the President to incorporate debt cancellation into his proposal."
"I will also be looking very carefully at the President's proposed time-line for rolling out this money, and I would that stress that the sooner we can use the money that the President has pledged, the sooner that we will be able to fight this horrendous pandemic. I am concerned, though, that this money will be taken out of some other account. We cannot afford to rob Peter to pay Paul."
Following the HIV/AIDS Press Conference, Congresswoman Lee also appeared in a CBC/Congressional Hispanic Caucus joint press conference, in a response to the State of the Union
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