[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 189 (Friday, November 30, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WORLD AIDS DAY

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in observation of World AIDS Day 
which is celebrated tomorrow, actually, in the United States and around 
the world. Thanks to bipartisan investments in programs like PEPFAR, we 
have made significant strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
  In the 15 years since PEPFAR was passed, over 2.4 million babies have 
been born HIV free, and over 14.6 million people have been supported 
with antiretroviral treatment. But we cannot let these numbers lull us 
into complacency.
  The theme of this year's World AIDS Day is ``Know Your Status.'' More 
than 9.4 million people living with HIV around the world do not know 
their status. In the United States, more than 1.1 million people in the 
U.S. are living with HIV; 14 percent, mind you, of whom do not know 
their status.
  We know that tens of millions of people in the United States and 
around the world will require sustained access to treatment for decades 
to come. Without robust investments and a strong recommitment to 
programs like PEPFAR, Ryan White, and the Minority AIDS Initiative, we 
could see a backslide in the important gains that we have made in the 
fight against HIV.
  We can't afford to let that happen, so I invite you to join me in 
commemorating World AIDS Day and recommitting to achieving an AIDS-free 
generation.

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