House Approves Lee Bill on Orphans and Vulnerable Children
(Washington, DC) – The House of Representatives voted 415-9 to approve a bill introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) that is designed to provide a comprehensive US response to the continuing global problem of orphaned and vulnerable children.
“There is too much at stake for the United States to take a haphazard approach to the global crisis facing orphans and vulnerable children,” said Lee. “This bill is an important step in creating a coordinated, more effective response to a crisis that impacts the futures of millions of the world’s children.”
According to a joint report by UNAID, UNICEF and USAIDS released in July, 2004, a child is orphaned by AIDS every 14 seconds. There are more than 143 million children living in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean who were identified as orphans having lost one or both of their parents. The rapid growth of the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa and throughout the developing world has dramatically impacted the number of children who are newly becoming orphans. With parents dying at an alarming rate, children are left without food, shelter, education, or protection.
The Assistance for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 establishes the position of Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to better coordinate and provide assistance in support of basic care; treatment for HIV-infected children; psychosocial support; school food programs; educational opportunities through the elimination of school fees; and inheritance rights for orphans and vulnerable children.
Lee’s bill had 130 co-sponsors and support from more than 30 non-governmental organizations working on HIV/AIDS and international aid issues. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in February by Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chairman of the Senate International Relations Committee, and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Last year, the House passed Lee’s bill, but a similar measure in the Senate did not reach a vote.
“I appreciate the bipartisan work of my colleagues in the House in support of this measure, and I hope that the Senate will act quickly to pass this bill and help these children,” said Lee.
As the most senior Democratic Woman on the House International Relations Committee, Lee has traveled to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe and witnessed the desperation that orphan and vulnerable children are facing. In 1999, she took part in a Presidential Mission to sub-Saharan Africa focused specifically on children orphaned by AIDS.
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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