[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 18, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H3698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PEPFAR 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

  (Ms. LEE of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I had the honor of 
joining Secretary Kerry and hundreds of advocates to mark the 10th 
anniversary of our global aids program known as PEPFAR. Ten years ago, 
when the AIDS pandemic was ravaging many African countries, Democrats, 
Republicans, and Independents put aside our differences and came 
together to create the largest, most effective foreign aid program to 
date.
  I'm very humbled to have played a small role in the creation of 
PEPFAR and proud about the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus 
and our chair at that time, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson--even 
before the world knew about this initiative. And I'm so proud of the 
role my staff played over the years, including the late, beloved 
Michael Riggs, whose memory and leadership Secretary Kerry recognized 
this morning.
  To quote from a 2002 letter to President Bush, the Congressional 
Black Caucus called for ``an expanded United States initiative'' to 
``respond to the greatest plague in recorded history.'' The next month, 
in his State of the Union speech, President Bush boldly embraced our 
call to action.
  Now, a decade later, PEPFAR's success isn't just measured in terms of 
dollars spent but in lives saved and communities transformed.

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