LARSON STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF HIV/AIDS LEGISLATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2003LARSON STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF HIV/AIDS LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) today issued the following statement on H.R. 1298, the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003. Larson voted in favor of the legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 375 to 41.
"More than 42 million people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS. Nearly 30 million of those people live on the continent of Africa and that includes 3 million children under the age of fifteen. By passing this legislation today, Congress has made a commitment to improve the lives of millions of people and help ease the suffering of an entire continent. However, the fight against HIV/AIDS is far from over and Congress must live up to the commitment it made today by fully funding these programs in the future," said Larson.
The bill will authorize $15 billion over five years to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including up to $1 billion for the Global Fund to Combat HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in Fiscal Year 2004. It would also create a five-year comprehensive, integrated global strategy to strengthen U.S. capacity to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Additionally, an HIV/AIDS Response Coordinator within the Department of State would be created to oversee this plan.
###