Marjorie Taylor Greene Defends Amendment To Cut US Funding To Fight HIV And AIDS In Africa

5 months ago

In remarks on the House floor last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) spoke about her amendment to prohibit funding for USAID for International Development.

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Transcript

00:00It is now in order to consider amendment number 20 printed in part B of House

00:07report 118-559. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Georgia seek

00:12recognition? Mr. Speaker I have an amendment at the desk. The clerk will

00:16designate the amendment. Number 20 printed in part B of House report number

00:20118-559 offered by Miss Green of Georgia. Pursuant to House

00:26resolution 1316 the gentlewoman from Georgia Miss Green and a member opposed

00:30will each control five minutes. The chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from

00:34Georgia. Thank you Mr. Speaker. The American people are over thirty four

00:38point five trillion dollars in debt thanks to the decisions made here in

00:43Washington DC. My amendment would prohibit 1.6 billion of funding for the

00:49United States Agency for International Development USAID which sends billions

00:55of American taxpayer dollars every single year to foreign nations across

01:00the world. USAID was responsible for the management of more than 40 billion in

01:06combined annual appropriations in fiscal year of 2022 representing more than one

01:12third of the funds provided in the Department of State foreign operations

01:16and related programs appropriation bill. Imagine if this money went to Americans

01:23who by the way are paying for it instead of foreign countries. Maybe we

01:27could solve some of the problems we have here at home. That year USAID provided

01:32assistance to over 130 foreign countries. The top countries that received money

01:38from most to least were Ukraine, Ethiopia, Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia,

01:46Nigeria, Afghanistan, the Congo, Syria, and Sudan. Among the wasteful things USAID

01:53has funded in recent years under Samantha Power's tenure by the way are

01:58programs like 385 million dreams initiative determined resilient

02:05empowered AIDS free mentored and safe. A program under PEPFAR which aims to

02:11reduce rates of HIV among adolescent girls around the world. We certainly care

02:17about girls around the world but we really care about our American taxpayers

02:21helping Americans at home. Dreams has provided millions of girls with family

02:27planning, counseling, contraceptives, and referrals. In 2022 more than 275,000 sex

02:35workers and many others around the world received HIV medication from USAID.

02:42Again the American people are over 34.5 trillion dollars in debt and 300

02:50Americans die every single day from fentanyl poisoning. USAID also implements

02:56programs that identify and respond to the unique needs of women, men, girls, boys,

03:02and those of other gender identities. By the way there aren't any there's only

03:07two. Of all ages and abilities in their diversity so they can equally access and

03:13use HIV prevention and treatment services, protect themselves, protect

03:18protect healthy behaviors, exercise their rights, and live free from violence,

03:23stigma, and discrimination. I think Americans here would like to live free

03:27from violence but again our border is overrun. Since 2014 USAID has led the

03:35coordination and implementation of PEPFAR's sustainable financing initiative.

03:40PEPFAR by the way is receiving over five billion dollars in funding from the

03:46American people. With investments of 48 million the USAID led SFI

03:53generated more than 361 million of domestic resources for HIV across 16

03:59countries and two regional programs over six years. In Tanzania USAID helped

04:05access 7.8 million in private sector financing for private clinics. This

04:10investment resulted in 35% increase in HIV testing and over 10,000

04:17patients tested and 100% of positive patients linked to care. In Nigeria

04:22USAID engaged in private pharmacies to provide HIV treatment. Meanwhile the

04:28fentanyl drug crisis continues to rage across America but we continue to fund

04:33USAID with billions of dollars to address AIDS and other diseases all over

04:39the world. We should be caring about Americans and we should be funding the

04:44treatment for Americans here at home from a weapon of mass destruction that

04:49is murdering Americans every single day. The American tax people are funding this

04:54and the American tax people want their problems solved. They want Americans

04:59protected. They want to feel safe and secure at home not to be the piggy bank

05:05of the world which is what USAID is. Mr. Speaker I reserve. Gentleman from Georgia

05:12reserves. What purpose does gentlewoman from California seek recognition? Mr.

05:15Chairman I claim the time in opposition. Gentleman from California is recognized

05:19for five minutes. Mr. Chairman I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The

05:25United States Agency for International Development is essential to global

05:29stability asserting the United States leadership and foreign policy influence

05:34advancing security and prosperity worldwide. USAID is the leader of the

05:40United States global humanitarian and development work ensuring strong

05:45stewardship and accountability of US tax dollars and making tangible improvements

05:51in the lives of millions of people all around the world. This

05:56amendment would force USAID to close all of its missions and terminate its

06:01programs overseas. It's highly ironic that the Department of Defense that this

06:08Congress cannot seem to give enough money to would be the first people to

06:12decry the loss of these programs in building security and stability around

06:17the world. Without USAID millions of children with malaria would go untreated

06:22and hundreds of thousands of people would die of tuberculosis. Without USAID

06:28millions of the most vulnerable people in the world would be hungrier as well

06:32as lose access to quality education and clean water. USAID teams are working day

06:38and night to address catastrophic humanitarian crises in Gaza, Ukraine,

06:44Sudan and beyond and continued battering from a growing number of natural

06:50disasters during this particularly strong El Nino. This has led to a number

06:55of people requiring humanitarian assistance to increase by nearly a third

06:59from 274 million in 2022 to 363 million at the end of 2023. With regard to PEPFAR

07:09yes I was the author of PEPFAR and worked with Republicans primarily

07:14President Bush to make sure that the United States was on the right side of

07:20history by just basically saving lives. We've saved over 25 million lives thanks

07:25to PEPFAR and I think that's a real testament to how it was in the past in

07:33this House of Representatives where Democrats and Republicans worked

07:36together to save lives and I'm very proud of that effort and I know that

07:41this amendment would harm that effort to achieve an AIDS-free generation by

07:472030. It's harmful. We must not reduce our development and humanitarian efforts.

07:54We wouldn't be able to counter the PRC's influence, Russia. What we're doing is

08:01opening the door for their expanded global influence also if that's all you

08:06care about. So I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and I reserve the

08:11balance of my time. From California Reserves, gentlewoman from Georgia is

08:15recognized. Mr. Speaker how much time do I have remaining? Gentlewoman from Georgia

08:19has 30 seconds remaining. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to tell the House

08:24that USAID has been an arm of the Democrat Party. 96% of all

08:31political contributions from USAID employees go to the Democrat Party

08:36candidates or PACs. Also just months before the national elections over

08:411,000 USAID staff issued a statement echoing Democrat talking points. Here's

08:48the issue. Our government is not a charity and the American people are the

08:53most generous people in the world sending unknown amounts of money

08:57constantly to every cause to save people's lives. I urge the House to ask

09:02my amendment, support our country, America first, and with that I yield.

09:07Gentlewoman's time has expired. The gentlewoman from California is

09:11recognized. Yeah Mr. Chairman, let me just say that I realize the United States is

09:17not a charity but I believe there are many in this country that believe we are

09:22brothers keepers, we are sisters keepers, and we have a duty to those less

09:27fortunate and in fact USAID is providing remarkable humanitarian assistance to

09:34those who need the United States generosity and support. I ask for a no

09:40vote on this amendment and I yield back the balance of my time. Gentlewoman from

09:44California yields back. The question is on the amendment offered by the

09:47gentlewoman from Georgia. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. In the

09:55opinion of the chair the noes have it. The amendment is not agreed to. For what

09:59purpose does the gentlewoman from Georgia seek recognition? I ask for a recorded vote.

10:03Recorded vote has been requested but pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18 further

10:08proceedings on the amendment by the gentlewoman from Georgia will be

10:10postponed.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Defends Amendment To Cut US Funding To Fight HIV And AIDS In Africa

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