Washington, DC – On the occasion of World AIDS Day, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the founding co-chair of the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, released this statement:
“As we commemorate World AIDS Day, we pause to both remember those lost to this pandemic and to look toward the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
In order to effectively end this pandemic, we must remember that the U.S. is not apart from the rest of the world. Our efforts to end this disease must be local as well as global.
We must focus our efforts and resources to reach those communities most in need, both at home and abroad. We have made great strides in the more than 30 years since the first AIDS case in the United States, but more work remains to be done.
I am proud to have played a role in crafting the legislation to create and re-authorize the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. I was pleased to work with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Congresswoman Donna Christensen (D-VI) to establish the Minority AIDS Initiative.
We should reflect on the achievements of these programs and re-focus on ensuring such programs continue to have the resources to combat this pandemic by providing comprehensive education, risk management, testing and treatment to the most vulnerable.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committee. She has been a leader in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. She co-authored legislation signed into law creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2000, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008, and in 2005 legislation addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. She has also been a leader in the effort to establish a National AIDS Strategy, and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services & Education with jurisdiction over all domestic HIV/AIDS funding. She is the only United States representative on United Nations Development Programme’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law and was the original sponsor of legislation that lead to the repeal of the Immigration and Travel ban that barred the entry of HIV positive individuals. The repeal allowed the International AIDS conference to take place in July 2012 in Washington, D.C., which was held in the U.S. after 20 years. Congresswoman Lee served as a Representative from the United States to the 68th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.