June 19, 2002
Reducing mother to child transmission is an integral part of defeating global HIV/AIDS. Mother To Child Transmission-Plus (MTCT-Plus) programs must be a high priority as they can have a very positive impact for women and children across the globe. The U.S. can and should spend more than $200 million funding these programs.
Two weeks ago President Bush derailed Senator Frist's amendment to increase U.S. emergency spending to fight these diseases to $500 million. A significant portion of those funds could have been directed to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM).
By committing all of the resources made available in the FY02 Supplemental Appropriations bill to mother to child transmission initiatives, President Bush is further compromising the ability of the United States to increase its contribution to the GFATM.
The Bush Administration has injected politics into the debate about how the U.S. should respond to AIDS, TB and Malaria. As this session of Congress progresses, we will be forced to decide whether we will fund Mother to Child Transmission efforts at the levels suggested today or if we will increase the U.S. contribution to the GFATM.
We should do both, because we need a multi-faceted approach to these pandemics. We should greatly increase the $200 million for MTCT-Plus programs. We must also greatly increase its contribution to the global fund. The Global Fund makes grants for comprehensive, life-saving AIDS treatment, care, and prevention in poor countries.
To date, the United States has approved a $300 million contribution to the Global Fund, yet, it has only released $250 million. The remaining $50 million will likely be rolled into the FY03 contribution.
We have seen that when the U.S. contributes to the fund, other nations follow suit. When the second rounds of grants are made this fall, we must ensure that the GFATM has the resources it needs to be effective. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for $7-$10 billion annually. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world and should provide at least $1 billion to the Global Fund.
I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to significantly expand funding to fight these horrific diseases, but we cannot continue to play this deadly shell game.
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Statement of Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) Bush Administration Proposal for HIV/AIDS Funding Falls Short
I am encouraged that the President's announcement today raises the level of attention to important HIV/AIDS Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT) prevention and treatment strategies. For far too long, these efforts have gone under-funded. However, President Bush's proposal is not new money, falls short of the $2.5 billion needed this year to mount a comprehensive strategy to fight these diseases and will force a dispute about which global AIDS programs should be funded.Reducing mother to child transmission is an integral part of defeating global HIV/AIDS. Mother To Child Transmission-Plus (MTCT-Plus) programs must be a high priority as they can have a very positive impact for women and children across the globe. The U.S. can and should spend more than $200 million funding these programs.
Two weeks ago President Bush derailed Senator Frist's amendment to increase U.S. emergency spending to fight these diseases to $500 million. A significant portion of those funds could have been directed to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM).
By committing all of the resources made available in the FY02 Supplemental Appropriations bill to mother to child transmission initiatives, President Bush is further compromising the ability of the United States to increase its contribution to the GFATM.
The Bush Administration has injected politics into the debate about how the U.S. should respond to AIDS, TB and Malaria. As this session of Congress progresses, we will be forced to decide whether we will fund Mother to Child Transmission efforts at the levels suggested today or if we will increase the U.S. contribution to the GFATM.
We should do both, because we need a multi-faceted approach to these pandemics. We should greatly increase the $200 million for MTCT-Plus programs. We must also greatly increase its contribution to the global fund. The Global Fund makes grants for comprehensive, life-saving AIDS treatment, care, and prevention in poor countries.
To date, the United States has approved a $300 million contribution to the Global Fund, yet, it has only released $250 million. The remaining $50 million will likely be rolled into the FY03 contribution.
We have seen that when the U.S. contributes to the fund, other nations follow suit. When the second rounds of grants are made this fall, we must ensure that the GFATM has the resources it needs to be effective. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for $7-$10 billion annually. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world and should provide at least $1 billion to the Global Fund.
I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to significantly expand funding to fight these horrific diseases, but we cannot continue to play this deadly shell game.
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