[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 93 (Thursday, July 11, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H4503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HIV/AIDS FUNDING

  (Mr. KIRK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, the HIV epidemic is making headlines in the 
international AIDS conference in Barcelona. New projections concerning 
the disease show there is little good news.
  Secretary Thompson leads the U.S. delegation, and I thank him for his 
recent commitment to work with China to fight HIV. The United States 
will sponsor collaboration with China using a $14 million CDC grant for 
research on HIV prevention and treatment. China currently has over a 
million cases of HIV, estimated to rise to over 10 million by 2010. HIV 
has no cure, and prevention is our only means to fight it.
  Since the President set a precedent for funding CDC work in China, he 
should also fund the U.N. population fund. UNFPA provides family 
planning services in 140 countries, including Mexico, and supports HIV 
awareness campaigns in 78 countries. The $34 million approved by 
Congress for UNFPA is being held because UNFPA works in China, but we 
are now funding CDC work in China, so it is hard to see the 
distinction.
  Mr. Speaker, we need every tool to fight this lethal disease. Our 
contribution to UNFPA will help reduce the immigration pressure on the 
United States, reduce the damage of overpopulation, and slow the spread 
of HIV. I urge the President to fund both CDC and UNFPA.

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