Speech by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), July 24, 2001

Speech by Rep. Sheila
Jackson-Lee (D-Texas),
July 24, 2001
Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. I thank the sponsors of this legislation, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. LEACH), for the outstanding work that they have done continuously, along with many, many Members who have joined in, including the gentlewoman from California (Ms. PELOSI) and many others who have joined in on this particular aspect of support of the HIV problem.

Let me simply say that my theme today is that we are our brothers' keepers. In newspaper reports we find that 95 percent of all AIDS cases are in the developing world and that this strain of AIDS could cause a drastic explosion if it jumps to the Western world. More than 70 percent of all people living with the disease, or 25.3 million HIV-positive individuals, live in Africa. However, this disease is moving to India. We find that the disease is growing the fastest in places like Russia and China; and, therefore, this is a world-wide disaster.

Over 10 percent of the population is infected in 16 African nations, but it is spreading. The U.S. Census Bureau calculates that by 2010 average life expectancy will be reduced by 40 years in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and in South Africa by 30 years. The disease destabilizes these nations by decimating their workforce, destroying any economic prosperity, depleting their military and peacekeeping forces, and leaving thousands and thousands of orphans. We expect in the years to come that we will find 40 million children orphaned in sub-Saharan Africa.

Let me emphasize the crux of this particular amendment. It is a modest amendment. And I do appreciate the needs of peacekeeping in our European nations, but I would simply say that there will be no opportunity for peacekeeping if we do not fight the devastation of AIDS. AIDS devastates the militaries of these respective countries. It provides military instability because the military personnel travel from country to country and take the infection and carry it elsewhere. It destroys economic development; and certainly because AIDS has no borders, our children are impacted.

So I simply offer my support for this amendment, and I believe it is a modest amendment in terms of the funds that it takes from the respective accounts.

I would lastly say on the drug issue, as would anyone, we want to diminish or decrease the amount of drug use in this country. But I believe a key element of that is treatment. No matter how much we try to fight the supply, if we do not deal with the issue of treatment, we are fighting almost a losing battle. I believe these funds will be vitally necessary and useful to be utilized to fight the devastation of HIV-AIDS.

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