From the Office of Senator Kerry

Monday, July 15, 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States Senate today unanimously passed legislation authored by Sens. John Kerry and Bill Frist 'The U.S. LEADERSHIP AGAINST HIV/AIDS, TB and MALARIA ACT OF 2002' and legislation authored by Senators Edward M Kennedy and passed by the Senate Labor Committee. Together, the package provides an unprecedented $5 billion dedicated to the global fight on HIV/Aids.

The Kerry-Frist bill authorizes $4.5 billion for a comprehensive package of funding for AIDS prevention programs and investments in vaccine research and purchase funds as well as the first effort to create a long term strategy for American leadership in responding to this global pandemic. The Senate passed package also included a bi-partisan legislation authored by Senator Edward M Kennedy and passed by the Senator Health, Education, Labor Pensions Committee that provides much needed authority to the Health and Human Services Administration, including the Center for Disease Control for $400 million to conduct a range of international HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria programs.

Senator Kerry said, "The Senate mobilized rapidly and in tremendous bipartisan partnership behind this unprecedented effort to demonstrate some leadership in the world's fight against AIDS and infectious disease. We need to get this legislation passed in the House and onto the President's desk for his signature immediately. With more than 5,000 Africans dying each day of AIDS, there's no time to wait and American leadership is needed as never before. The United States can not afford to sit on the sidelines or tinker at the edges of a global pandemic. This legislation is an opportunity to provide relief, not rhetoric, to Africa and developing countries, and we need the White House to join us in supporting this important effort."