[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             WORLD AIDS DAY

  (Ms. LEE of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked World AIDS Day 
and more than 30 years since the first discovery of AIDS in the United 
States.
  As the cofounder of the HIV/AIDS caucus, I am proud to say that we 
have made great strides in combating the AIDS epidemic here in our own 
country and throughout the world. Contracting HIV is no longer the 
death sentence that it once was, but much more remains to be done.
  A recent report by UNAIDS found that we have 5 years to break the 
epidemic for good or risk it rebounding out of control. We cannot allow 
the gains we have made in fighting for an AIDS-free generation to be 
lost, and we can eradicate AIDS if we devote proper resources to the 
fight both here and abroad.
  We must reduce the stigma surrounding the disease by strengthening 
educational and outreach activities to help prevent millions of new HIV 
cases worldwide. We must also provide the science-based comprehensive 
sex education that has proven to reduce the spread of sexually 
transmitted diseases, and we must repeal laws that promote 
discrimination and hate.
  Mr. Speaker, now is the time to take bold action to create a world 
that is free from HIV and AIDS. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
working to achieve an AIDS-free generation.

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