December 3, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 192 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H9192-H9194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS (TB), MALARIA, 
                      AND ITS SIXTH REPLENISHMENT

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 517) supporting the Global Fund to fight AIDS, 
tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and its Sixth Replenishment, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 517

       Whereas the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), 
     and malaria is an effective partnership of governments, the 
     private sector, civil society, and affected communities to 
     transform the response to these epidemics;
       Whereas since the Global Fund's creation in 2002, and in 
     close cooperation with the President's Emergency Plan for 
     AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), more than 32,000,000 lives have been 
     saved in countries where the Global Fund invests;
       Whereas the Global Fund has contributed to extraordinary 
     improvements in global health, including by helping to reduce 
     by half the number of AIDS-related deaths since 2005, 
     contributing to a 37-percent decline in TB deaths from 2000 
     to 2016, and a 60-percent decline in the number of malaria 
     deaths since 2000;
       Whereas the Global Fund and its partners work to uphold a 
     steadfast commitment to transparency and accountability, 
     receiving high marks in multilateral aid reviews and by 
     independent watchdogs;
       Whereas despite progress achieved to date in combating 
     AIDS, TB, and malaria, significant challenges threaten future 
     progress, including drug and insecticide resistance, reaching 
     marginalized and vulnerable populations, and complacency in 
     the fight against infectious diseases;
       Whereas United States leadership has been critical to the 
     Global Fund's success as its largest donor and through its 
     oversight role on the Board of the Global Fund;
       Whereas the Global Fund amplifies and supports the results 
     of United States bilateral heath programs, including the 
     PEPFAR, the President's Malaria Initiative, and the United 
     States Agency for International Development TB program;
       Whereas a statutory cap on United States contributions to 
     the Global Fund has successfully leveraged increased 
     contributions from other donors in prior Global Fund 
     replenishments;
       Whereas the United Kingdom and Japan, for example, already 
     have pledged significant increases to the Global Fund for the 
     Sixth Replenishment;
       Whereas the Global Fund's requirements for cofinancing have 
     spurred domestic investments, with recipient countries 
     committing 41 percent more of their own funding to fight 
     AIDS, TB, and malaria for 2018 to 2020 compared to 2015 to 
     2017;
       Whereas recipient countries are expected to increase their 
     co-financing by 48 percent, growing to $46,000,000,000 from 
     2021 to 2023; and
       Whereas with these resources secured, the Global Fund 
     projects it will reduce the number of deaths due to AIDS, TB, 
     and malaria by nearly 50 percent, avert 234,000,000 
     infections or disease cases, and save an additional 
     16,000,000 lives: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) encourages the Global Fund and its partners to continue 
     their valuable contributions to end the epidemics of AIDS, 
     TB, and malaria;
       (2) affirms previous commitments of the United States to 
     providing 33 percent of the budget to the Global Fund, 
     including for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment held on 
     October 10, 2019, in Lyon, France, as demonstrated by the 
     $1,560,000,000 provided by H.R. 2839 in the 116th Congress 
     (providing FY2020 appropriations for the Department of State, 
     foreign operations, and related programs), as passed by the 
     House of Representatives;
       (3) urges donor countries to step up the fight and increase 
     their pledges for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment and 
     supports continued diplomatic engagement to improve burden 
     sharing;
       (4) urges Global Fund recipient countries to continue to 
     make and meet ambitious cofinancing commitments to sustain 
     progress in ending the epidemics of AIDS, TB, and malaria; 
     and
       (5) encourages United States bilateral aid programs to 
     continue their collaboration with the Global Fund to maximize 
     the life-saving impact of global health investments.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires).

                              {time}  1615


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H. Res. 517.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no better example of American interests and 
values intersecting in our foreign policy than global health issues.
  On the one hand, global health challenges are strategic challenges. 
Countries and communities with poor access to healthcare are less 
productive, less stable, less able to act as strong partners. 
Unchecked, pandemics can blow across borders and make their way to our 
own shores, threatening the American people, so we have a real interest 
in working to tackle global health problems.
  At the same time, we, as Americans, want to see people everywhere 
lead healthy, happy lives, and access to healthcare allows more people 
to pursue greater opportunity.
  That is why, over the last two decades, the Global Fund has been such 
a remarkable foreign policy initiative. It has helped reduce by half 
the number of AIDS-related deaths worldwide since 2005. From 2000 to 
2016, it contributed to a 37 percent decline in tuberculosis deaths. 
Since the year 2000, the Global Fund has helped reduce the number of 
deaths from malaria by 60 percent.
  America's contributions to the Global Fund have helped to fund these 
vital programs, and our leadership has helped drive billions in 
additional investments from other donors and recipient states. In 
October, the Global Fund received pledges of more than $14 billion for 
the next 3 years from 75 donors. Sixteen million people will benefit 
from this lifesaving assistance.
  This is work that we should all be proud of. It has helped advance 
core American interests around the world. It has shown the character of 
our country, our spirit of generosity and compassion.
  It is essential that the Global Fund's work continues. That is why I 
am proud to support this measure from Foreign Affairs Committee 
Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul. This resolution puts the 
House on the record reaffirming our support for the Global Fund, 
reiterating how important its work is. It says that the funding the 
House already approved for next year shall go forward because the 
Global Fund's future success depends on American involvement.
  The Global Fund has built a tremendous record of success. We need to 
keep that record going so that we can continue to help people around 
the world withstand life-threatening but preventable diseases.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 517, a 
resolution by Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul, supporting the 
Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
  The Global Fund is a financing partnership of governments, private 
donors, and civil societies that have a shared purpose of ending HIV/
AIDS, TB, and malaria. Since its founding in 2002, the Global Fund is 
credited with saving millions of lives.
  Nor is our contribution to combat these diseases limited to the 
Global Fund. As my colleagues know, since its inception in 2002, the 
Global Fund has worked with U.S. programs, such as the President's 
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which has radically and 
positively changed the course of health outcomes.

[[Page H9193]]

  President Bush initiated the PEPFAR program, which has been 
transformative in so many countries, particularly in sub-Saharan 
Africa. According to PEPFAR's latest data, over 18 million lives have 
been saved due to PEPFAR's intervention.
  I would note the success in blocking mother-to-child transmission of 
AIDS during pregnancy. At the end of September 2019, Mr. Speaker, over 
2.6 million babies born of HIV-infected mothers have been born HIV 
free.
  In addition to President Bush's extraordinary leadership, we should 
also note the lasting reforms and contributions of Mark Dybul. Mark 
served as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator from 2006 to 2009, 
implementing PEPFAR during that critical period. He then went on to 
serve as the executive director of the Global Fund, instituting reforms 
such that we stand here today recognizing the critical role that the 
Global Fund is playing in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
  Among other things, Mark insisted on the key role that faith-based 
organizations play in the fight against the spread of HIV. Africa, in 
particular, is a faith-based continent, and to neglect the role of the 
churches, as some had advocated at the time, would be to neglect the 
single most important grassroots institution in the lives of the people 
on the continent.
  Mark also spearheaded risk avoidance strategies, including keeping 
adolescent girls in school, which has proven critical in delaying the 
onset of sexual activity and reducing the transmission of AIDS.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people allocate $6 billion a year to the 
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which Congress 
extended for another 5 years via legislation that I authored with 
Democrat Barbara Lee and that President Trump signed into law on 
December 11 last year.

  Along with funds we dedicate in USAID's global health account to 
combat AIDS, TB, and malaria, our contributions to PEPFAR and the 
Global Fund make our global leadership unparalleled in the entire 
world. And it is not just simply providing funds. It is the leadership 
and commitment to excellence demonstrated by people such as our Global 
AIDS Coordinator today, Deborah Birx, and her team, which makes our 
commitment so impactful.
  Yet, to sustain its progress, the Global Fund needs at least $14 
billion over the next 3 years. To help the fund reach its goal, the 
U.S. commitment would need to be $1.56 billion. I am happy to say, 2 
months ago, the Global Fund held its replenishment meeting, where 
pledge amounts for the next 3 years were submitted. The United States 
Government pledged $1.56 billion, with other donors coming to the table 
to help the Global Fund raise the critically needed money.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding and for his leadership, and also Chairman Engel as well as Mr. 
Smith for their commitment on this and so many issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 517. This important 
resolution reaffirms our commitment to ending AIDS and calls on our 
government to maintain its historic contribution to the Global Fund.
  As one of the original authors of the Global Fund and as co-chair of 
the HIV/AIDS Caucus, I am pleased that we are moving this bill forward.
  This legislation has one of the greatest impacts on lives of people 
around the world. Since 2002, the Global Fund and PEPFAR have saved 32 
million lives. That is 32 million lives. That is unbelievable.
  What is more, the Global Fund has cut the number of AIDS-related 
deaths in half since 2005 and helped to reduce TB deaths by 37 percent.
  Mr. Speaker, our country's strong support of this program, which has 
been bipartisan, coupled with new scientific advances, has helped us 
turn the tide on achieving an AIDS-free generation.
  Just this year, during the Global Fund's Sixth Replenishment 
Conference, the United States maintained its strong commitment to $1.56 
billion a year. That is a 33 percent contribution to this important 
fund.
  I am glad that we are here today to reaffirm our commitment to the 
Global Fund and its sixth replenishment fund. The bipartisan and 
multilateral commitment to this program cannot be overstated.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to close by lifting up the legacy of my 
predecessor, a great statesman, Congressman Ron Dellums, who inspired 
my legislation to establish the framework for the Global Fund.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my partner, Republican Congressman Jim Leach, 
for his spirit of bipartisanship in helping me get this bill through 
the Banking and Financial Services Committee; former President Bill 
Clinton, who signed the Global AIDS and TB Relief Act of 2000 to 
establish the Global Fund; and, of course, the late Kofi Annan, who 
served as Secretary General of the United Nations and who boldly took 
this idea to the U.N. and led the global effort for support.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution, 
vote ``yes'' to saving lives.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I thank everyone for being here today. Sunday, of 
course, was World AIDS Day, and we led a delegation to the United 
Nations. We had high-level meetings, and everyone applauded the United 
States for its leadership.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the ranking member of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen from New Jersey, Mr. 
Smith and Mr. Sires, and Mr. Engel for their hard work on this 
important resolution that I support, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, 
tuberculosis, and malaria.
  Over the last 17 years, 32 million lives have been saved as a result 
of the Global Fund partnering with U.S. programs to change the course 
of health outcomes. Yet, there is much more work to do. The Global Fund 
set a fundraising goal of $14 billion over the next 3 years in order to 
save an additional 16 million lives.
  Since 2003, the United States has been a longtime and consistent 
partner of the Global Fund and the largest bilateral donor. The U.S. 
has historically provided $1 for every $2 raised by other donors.
  Our contributions have been an effective tool to leverage other 
donors and secure greater commitments. However, uncertainty over final 
spending bills has complicated the U.S. contribution. That is why my 
friend Chairman Engel and I introduced this resolution, to reaffirm our 
commitment to the Global Fund and assure our donors of this U.S. 
commitment.
  In October, pledge amounts for the next 3 years were submitted, and I 
am pleased that this resolution played a role in affirming the U.S. 
commitment to the Global Fund and helped spur more donors to step up to 
the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
resolution, and I also hope that we can consider a final appropriation 
bill soon that provides the necessary $1.56 billion over the next 3 
years to the Global Fund.
  Rarely, Mr. Speaker, in this Chamber do we pass laws and resolutions 
that have such a direct impact on the lives of others. That is the true 
calling, the true mission, that I think we share on both sides of the 
aisle, to make this world a better place. This resolution will 
certainly do that.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, a lot of factors have come together over nearly 20 years 
to account for the success of the Global Fund, but in my view, the most 
crucial piece of the puzzle has been American leadership.
  I worry about what has happened to American leadership in recent 
years. I worry when an American administration sends budget after 
budget to Capitol Hill asking us to slash our investments in diplomacy 
and development by a third. I worry about the message that sends to the 
rest of the world,

[[Page H9194]]

about the lives which could be lost if we reduce our commitment to the 
fund, and about what it could mean for all the success that efforts 
like the Global Fund have achieved.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important today that the House send this message, 
that we express our clear support for the Global Fund and our support 
for bringing American leadership to bear on global health challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H. 
Res. 517, which I have proudly cosponsored. This resolution reaffirms 
our nation's commitment to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Amid 
the worldwide progress that has been made to counter these diseases, it 
is critical that we maintain our financial contribution to the Global 
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
  As the first registered nurse elected to Congress, I wholeheartedly 
support the funding of efforts to prevent and eradicate infectious 
diseases. The Global Fund is the world's largest supporter of 
prevention, treatment, and care programs for AIDS, tuberculosis, and 
malaria. With these investments, it has decreased the number of AIDS-
related deaths by half since 2005, contributed to a 37 percent decline 
in tuberculosis deaths from 2000 to 2016, and facilitated a 60 percent 
decline in the number of malaria deaths since 2000.
  On behalf of families and young children across the world, it is our 
duty to advance the resources needed to address health in all our 
communities. We must maintain our longstanding commitment to the Global 
Fund. This is a critical commitment to saving lives, averting new 
cases, and increasing the ability of people around the world to 
withstand life-threatening but preventable diseases.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Malinowski). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 517, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________