UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL ADDRESSES HIV/AIDS -- (House of Representatives - July 17, 2000)
 

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   The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. SHIMKUS). Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON-LEE) is recognized for 5 minutes.

   Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I had the honor of joining the Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, along with the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. MALONEY), in New York.

   We were invited to witness a historic debate at the U.N. Security Council on an issue of peacekeeping and security addressing the question of HIV/AIDS. For the first time, the world voice, the United Nations, took a unanimous stand to fight HIV/AIDS in the peacekeeping forces around the world.

   Although we applaud their bravery, we realize that the military personnel that travel from one developing nation to another without the proper education and training are in harm's way, not only in terms of war, but in terms of the devastation of disease. Based upon our work, we are delighted that this kind of effort was made on behalf of the United Nations.

   Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE) who has been the moving force on fighting AIDS in this Congress.

   Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON-LEE) for her leadership and also for her efforts in helping the orphans and the children of Africa who are suffering now as a result of their parents dying of AIDS. I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership.

   We participated in a mission last year. During that time in Southern Africa, we realized that we had to come back and do something. We looked in the eyes of babies, and there was no way that we could let these children live like this without us at least trying to do something for them.

   This morning, I had the honor and the privilege to participate with the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON-LEE) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. MALONEY) in actually witnessing the United Nation's Security Council's historic discussion and vote regarding the importance of HIV and AIDS education and prevention as it relates to peacekeeping forces.

   We all know that an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure. We should be proud of the fact that our own ambassador, Ambassador Holbrooke, has and continues to take 

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the lead in raising the moral concerns, the humanitarian concerns, and, yes, the security concerns of the AIDS pandemic. He has done remarkable work in little time to educate the world community; and that is, definitely, he has put forth and set forth a course to actually break the silence in the world with regard to this pandemic.

   We were waging war on this. I am proud of the Congress in terms of our bipartisan efforts to wage war on this deadly disease. I think today the resolution that was passed by the Security Council really takes us one step forward in waging the battle that we must wage on this.

   Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, might I say that the leadership of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE) in the United States Congress, along with the amendment on debt relief offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. WATERS) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. PELOSI) last week brought us to where we needed to be by adding $42 million back into the Foreign Operations appropriations.

   I think it is important for the American people to understand that as the world is endangered by the devastation of the elimination of large populations by HIV/AIDS, we need to recognize here in America that we are fully impacted.

   I know for many it seems as if we are looking distant, far away, but AIDS can be compared to the times historically of the bubonic plague when large numbers of Europeans were devastated and eliminated with this disease.

   This disease is killing one in five in South Africa. Forty million children will be orphaned. I am very proud that the Ambassador to the United Nations joined in the causes with, first, the Vice President speaking before the United Nations, then our respective Senators, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE), who has just returned from Durban, South Africa, to say that we really are in a war.

   As we fight for peace, peace is intertwined in fighting against this devastating disease. I would hope that we will continue this effort. I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. LEE) for her leadership, and, of course, I applaud the United Nations for its effort.

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