[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2365-2366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       GLOBAL HEALTH ACT OF 2000

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 1999, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) is 
recognized for 60 minutes.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, today, we here in the United States, and 
throughout the world, are celebrating International Women's Day.

                              {time}  1830

  Unfortunately, too many women in the world today have no cause for 
celebration. Nearly 600,000 women die each year from complications of 
pregnancy and child birth. That is one woman every minute. Of these 
deaths, 99 percent take place in the developing world, where maternal 
deaths account for up to one-third of all deaths of women of child-
bearing age.
  According to the World Health Organization, for every maternal death 
that occurs worldwide, an estimated 30 additional women suffer 
pregnancy-related health problems that can be permanently debilitating. 
A woman's lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related complications 
or during child birth can be as high as one in 15 in developing 
countries, as compared to one in 7,000 in developed countries.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 150 million married women in developing 
nations still want to space or limit child bearing but do not have 
access to modern contraceptives. Yet, Mr. Speaker, despite these 
startling estimates, the U.S. commitment to women's health remains 
woefully inadequate. And that is why I, along with 22 other colleagues, 
have introduced legislation to increase the U.S. commitment to women's 
health by $300 million as part of a legislation known as the Global 
Health Act of 2000.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3826, the Global Health Act of 2000, authorizes 
additional resources to improve children's and women's health and 
nutrition, provide access to voluntary family planning, and combat the 
spread of infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS.
  Only the Global Health Act represents a comprehensive, balanced 
approach that builds upon proven existing programs to increase the U.S. 
commitment to go balance health as effectively as possible.
  Over 100 groups, such as the Global Health Council, Save the 
Children, the Salvation Army World Services, and the Global AIDS Action 
Network support the Global Health Act 2000.
  Mr. Speaker, in August of 1999, my constituents were shocked to learn 
that an outbreak of West Nile-like encephalitis had surfaced for the 
first time in the western hemisphere in the heart of my congressional 
district in Queens and the Bronx. This outbreak was a wake-up call for 
every American, not just New Yorkers. It illustrated that the Global 
community has truly become a local community.
  As demonstrated by HIV/AIDS, West Nile-like encephalitis and 
tuberculosis, a disease, Mr. Speaker, respects no borders. An outbreak 
in Africa, Europe, Asia, or South America can travel to U.S. shores 
within days. No longer can diseases occurring in far-off lands be 
ignored. They pose a direct threat to the national security of our 
great country and must be addressed by the U.S. Government, this 
Congress, and the international community as a whole. Diseases cannot 
be seized by Customs, and they do not apply at the U.S. Embassy for a 
visa. The only way to stop them is to target them at their source.
  The Global Health Act recognizes this and emphasizes the 
interconnectiveness of global health by calling for increased funding 
for child survival, women's health and nutrition, reducing unintended 
pregnancies, and combatting the spread of other infectious diseases. It 
also calls for increased coordination between the different government 
agencies administering health programs.
  Mr. Speaker, with the resources provided under the Global Health Act 
and the assistance of other nations, we can make a profound difference 
in the health and well-being of millions of the world's poorest 
citizens, especially women, and protect our own national security at 
the same time.
  We are the greatest power the world has ever known. We cannot 
continue to keep our head in the sand on this international issue. We 
have to recognize that we do not live in a cocoon. We can tackle this 
problem as a Nation and as a world, but first we have to face up to it.
  I had the great opportunity this afternoon to meet with the present 
Miss Universe. Her name escapes me at this time. But she is from 
Botswana, Africa. She came to talk to me today about the bill that I am 
sponsoring, the Global Health Act 2000.
  To lend her voice in support, I know that she met with a number of 
Members of the House today, I believe also Members of the Senate, to 
bring attention, much needed attention, to this issue. She spoke 
personally to me about her homeland and about her home continent.
  She is headquartered today in New York. She sees it and I view it 
myself as the headquarters of the world. We will not say the capital of 
the world, but certainly it is the headquarters of the world. It is 
convenient in that it is the home to the U.N. But also, New York at 
times can command international attention.
  We are happy that she is in New York working on this very, very 
important issue and, at the same time, sparing some time from her busy 
schedule to come down here to Washington to lobby Members of the House 
and the Senate on this important issue to get

[[Page 2366]]

their support. We need more support for this legislation. I hope we can 
all keep this in mind as we observe today International Women's Day.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity 
to address an issue deserving of much attention by the international 
community and especially the U.S. government. In honor of International 
Women's Health Day, I believe it is especially relevant for us to 
reaffirm our commitment to global health.
  I urge my fellow Members today to support the legislation that 
recognizes the overwhelming problem of the spread of infectious 
diseases across the world.
  Children are suffering as we speak. More than 10,000,000 children 
under 5 years of age die annually in developing nations from 
preventable causes.
  As founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I 
must emphasize the tragic circumstances of children across the world.
  As a Cosponsor of this legislation, I must stress the need for the 
Congress to increase our commitment to global health.
  Global Health concerns all persons, American citizens included.
  The CDC alone cannot stop the spread of disease worldwide and 
although imposing, Customs cannot seize diseases at country 
checkpoints. So we must not allow ourselves to assume that outbreaks in 
other countries will not affect Americans also.
  Infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDs and malaria are of the type that 
must be continually monitored and studied in order to prevent future 
outbreaks.
  Investing in global health will help prevent the spread of these 
types of diseases because it is a preventative measure and we all know 
that prevention is the best method of elimination.
  Over 100 national organizations support our commitment to global 
health, which should signal to any skeptic the national appeal of this 
legislation.
  Organizations such as Save the Children, the Salvation Army, and the 
Global AIDS Action Network are the type that all party member can 
recognize as being committed to the health of all notwithstanding their 
ethnic or religious affiliation.
  In this Congress today, we will be continuing the debate over whether 
prescriptions can be included for Senior Citizens under a health 
insurance plan called Medicare, yet most persons across the world do 
not even have basic health coverage.
  This is an issue that should cut across partisan lines. What we are 
asking for today simply is funding to provide such basic health 
coverage such as immunizations, reproductive health services and 
educational programs informing families about proper nutrition and 
infant care.
  Furthermore, this legislation would assist in preventing the spread 
of HIV/AIDS, which has become the world's leading infectious disease 
threat, with 34,000,000 people infected worldwide.
  This disease is spread between Children also. Daily, more that 7,000 
new cases occur each day in people between the ages of 10 and 24.
  An investment of an additional $1 billion dollars for global health 
for such a wealthy nation is not too much to ask for the survival of 
the people in this world.
  Over 13 million die annually from preventable or curable diseases and 
we must not be so isolationists to believe that this number does not 
include American as well. Let us make the commitment to invest in 
global health--our health. This is a subject that can no longer to 
ignored.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).


 Honoring University of North Carolina at Wilmington Men's Basketball 
                                  Team

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the University of 
North Carolina at Wilmington men's basketball team for their tremendous 
accomplishment this week. Their spirit and determination throughout the 
entire season has been an inspiration to all of us and especially the 
young people everywhere.
  This past Monday, the UNCW Seahawks defeated the University of 
Richmond 57-47 to win the Colonial Athletic Conference Tournament for 
the first time in school history. This is truly an amazing achievement 
for coach Jerry Wainright and the entire Seahawk team. UNCW was the 
number four seed in the CAA tournament and had to defeat the number one 
ranked team just to make it to the finals. The Seahawks will now embark 
on a new journey, playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time 
ever.
  Throughout the year, the Seahawks have represented the students and 
faculty of UNCW well by sticking together and demonstrating good 
sportsmanship. Jerry Wainright, the coach, has instilled in his players 
the ethic of dedication, sacrifice, and teamwork in the pursuit of 
excellence, following the rules, and instilled in the rest of us in 
this Nation a sincere and renewed appreciation of what it means to win 
with dignity and integrity.
  I am sure that the Seahawks will demonstrate these important 
characteristics on the national stage as we all get ready for the March 
madness of the NCAA basketball tournament.
  I hope my fellow colleagues will join me in congratulating this 
extraordinary group of young men and their coaches, parents, and 
classmates and others who support and cheered them on and made this 
year a special year to them and their example to others.
  Congratulations to the Seahawks.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I just want to point 
out, for the record, that I know a number of Members have submitted 
statements on behalf of the bill that I spoke about this evening, the 
Global Health Act of 2000, including the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee). She has submitted statements. I want to thank the 
gentlewoman and the other original cosponsors of the original Global 
Health Act 2000, H.R. 3826.

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