[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WORLD AIDS DAY 2012

  (Ms. Lee of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, December 1 is World AIDS Day, 
although every day is World AIDS Day for the millions battling this 
epidemic on the front lines. It's an important time, though, to reflect 
upon our loved ones lost, to celebrate the progress we are making, and 
to recommit ourselves to achieving an AIDS-free generation for all.
  As this Congress comes to an end and a new one begins in January, we 
have been given the extraordinary opportunity to leave an astonishing 
legacy. Our understanding of the spread of HIV has changed dramatically 
in recent years. Armed with the National AIDS Strategy, the Affordable 
Care Act, and the ongoing progress of PEPFAR and the Global Fund, we 
are closer than ever to stamping HIV and AIDS off the face of the 
Earth.
  But while we have made tremendous progress, we must not lose sight of 
the long road ahead. In my own district, for example, in Alameda 
County, we declared a state of emergency in 1998. My phenomenal local 
activists and providers have done a great job with minimal resources to 
end the state of emergency; but like all communities, we need more 
resources and not budget cuts. We have the tools we need. We just need 
the political will and investments to make the end of AIDS the legacy 
of our generation.

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