[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THE AIDS EPIDEMIC

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, there is an epidemic of AIDS and HIV in 
Africa. It is heartbreaking to report this pandemic affecting 42 
million souls, 8,500 deaths every day, and entire villages without a 
single adult.
  Earlier this week we heard the President describe a compassionate 
vision of moral obligation for the American people addressing this 
crisis that would bring not only $15 billion, but would put a priority 
on the values of the American people, namely, abstinence and 
faithfulness to marriage, over condom distribution.
  Sadly, Mr. Speaker, unless the House amends the bill today and adopts 
the Hyde-Pitts amendment that specifies that 33 percent of the 
prevention money will be spent on abstinence and monogamy programs 
first over and above condom distribution, the global AIDS bill will not 
reflect the values of the American people or the vision of the 
President of the United States of America.
  The timeless values of abstinence and marital faithfulness before 
condom distribution are the cure for what ails the families of Africa. 
It is important that we not just send them money, but we must send them 
values that work.

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