[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 101 (Thursday, June 12, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2811-H2812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           RESCISSION PACKAGE

  (Ms. GILLEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GILLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the cruel rescission 
package that passed the House strictly on partisan lines.
  Let me be clear: This legislation is a shameful, backwards attempt to 
cancel $9.8 billion in funding that had already been passed into law. 
It cuts critical investments in lifesaving programs that support 
reproductive health and education.
  It also slashes funding for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for 
AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. This bipartisan initiative has been 
supported by both parties for 20 years.
  As a volunteer who stood on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic, I 
witnessed firsthand and remember when an HIV diagnosis was tantamount 
to a death sentence. However, because of programs like PEPFAR, this is 
no longer so.

[[Page H2812]]

  In fact, since its launch in 2003, PEPFAR has saved 26 million lives 
and enabled 8 million babies to be born without HIV infection.
  This package also threatens funding to public broadcasting like NPR 
and PBS which educate, inform, and enrich the lives of Americans.
  The American people have been clear that they want Congress to lower 
costs and make life easier for working families. Instead, we are 
spending our time threatening health programs and trying to take 
``Sesame Street'' off the air.

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