Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. today said that "Now that the U.S. has
declared the worldwide spread of HIV/AIDS, especially in Africa, to be
a threat to our national security interests through its ability to undermine
economics, threaten military establishments and governments, and cause
other regional problems, the first test of U.S. seriousness will come with
what is included in the conference report and then, if it gets that far,
how the full House and Senate votes on the African Growth and Opportunity
Act (AGOA), otherwise known as the Africa-Caribbean Basin Initiative Bill.
"It will be interesting to observe how many members, especially Democrats,
vote for AGOA but against PNTR for China. Will they vote to give to Africa
what they will vote against for China?
"A tentative and uneasy deal was worked out on April 13 over textile
and appeal provisions, but no such deal was negotiated over HIV/AIDS. And
no bill targeting Africa should be passed that does not address the HIV/AIDS
pandemic that is now acknowledged to be a threat to our nation security
interests."
"My bills - the HOPE for Africa Act, II.R 772, a measure to authorize
a new trade, investment, and development policy for sub-Saharan Africa
that is mutually beneficial to the majority of people in sub-Saharan Africa
and the United States; H.R. 2700, a measure to require the United States
supported clinical research that is conducted in sub-Saharan African countries
to be conducted in accordance with the most protective ethical standards
regarding the use of human research subjects, and to prohibit the revocation
or revision of intellectual property or competition laws or policies of
sub-Saharan African countries that are designed to promote access to pharmaceuticals
or other medical technologies; H.R. 4038, a measure to amend the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 to address the issue of mother-to-child transmission
of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Africa, Asia, and Latin America;
and H.R. 4039, a measure to authorize microfinance and food assistance
for communities affected by the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS),
and for other purposes; - all take HIV/AIDS seriously. HIV/AIDS was not
even mentioned in the original AGOA bill. HOPE also includes complete debt
reduction - next to HIV/AIDS, the second most pressing need in Africa -
workers rights, liveable wages for African workers, African ownership of
businesses, and a departure from the conservative and austere "structural
adjustment" mandates of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
trade policies," Jackson said;