"Extraordinary Testament": Vice-President Pence Lauds Faith-Based Groups Who Have Led the Fight Against AIDS

Vice President Mike Pence : Nov 30, 2018
Whitehouse.org

"It really is an extraordinary testament about the American people's understanding of the role that faith and faith-based organizations play in confronting and meeting the needs of healthcare and poverty around the world." -Vice-President Mike Pence

(Washington, DC)—[Whitehouse.gov] The following are excerpts from a speech given by Vice-President Pence on November 29 at the White House: (Screengrab image: YouTube/via WhiteHouse.gov)

This Saturday, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. And as the President said on that occasion just last year, it is a day to remember "those who have lost their lives to AIDS." But it's also a day to "celebrate the remarkable progress" that "we have made in combating this disease," and to "reaffirm our ongoing commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat."

And so we gather here today with so many faith communities and organizations that have led the fight against this terrible disease. And it gives me great joy to say that because of your remarkable work, and the continued commitment of the American people, and the support of leaders in both parties in the Congress of the United States, we are closer today than ever before to ending the AIDS crisis in our time. It's true.

Now, the credit for this achievement is widely shared, but faith-based organizations and faith communities like those represented here have played a preeminent role. And the leaders in this room have inspired countless others to put hands and feet on their faith and bring hope and healing to literally millions of people around the world suffering with HIV/AIDS.

It is out of a faith tradition—that I share with many in this room—we're commanded that when we're sick, "you cared for me." And I want to commend each and every one of you for making that faith real in the battle against HIV/AIDS to being there for those in need.

Thanks to the generosity of the American people and the efforts of the organizations that are so well represented here today, it's humbling to think, in just 15 years, this American effort has helped save more than 17 million lives and prevented millions more from contracting HIV/AIDS to begin with. And AIDS-related deaths have been cut in half since their peak in 2004.

This is a cause that's close to the heart of the American people and close to my heart. And standing before you today, I couldn't be more pleased with the timing of our gathering. Because, just last night, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to reauthorize PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, begun by President George W. Bush), and President Donald Trump will soon sign it into law.

We're grateful for the strong and bipartisan support in the Congress for this extraordinary humanitarian effort by the American people.

President Trump believes this reauthorization is a critical component of our administration's commitment to combat AIDS. And it will build on the renewed energy and focus that the President has brought, and our entire administration have brought to this critical issue.

In fact, last year, our administration published the first-ever "Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control," which lays out President Trump's vision and plan to end the AIDS epidemic as we know it.

And as the State Department's 2018 PEPFAR Strategy Progress Report shows, under President Trump's leadership, we're building on our past successes; we're reaching new milestones in the battle against this deadly disease.

Today, I'm pleased to announce that our administration will invest $100 million in new resources to expand our engagement with faith-based organizations and communities of faith that are on the frontlines of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

This new investment of $100 million in faith-based organizations will increase—will increase the funding to those organizations by a full third. And this will make a world of difference, we believe, in countless lives affected by this disease.

The truth is that this is a sound investment because faith-based organizations, like those in this room and so many others around the world, have been the cornerstone of PEPFAR's success.

It really is an extraordinary testament about the American people's understanding of the role that faith and faith-based organizations play in confronting and meeting the needs of healthcare and poverty around the world.

I just want to say, on behalf of President Donald Trump, our administration is proud to partner with faith-based organizations across Africa and around the world as we confront HIV/AIDS.

We know, and history teaches, that every dollar we invest in faith-based organizations pays dividends in the fight against this crisis. And your work has made a world of difference among the millions of lives that have been saved since PEPFAR was signed into law by our investment and by those of our partners... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Click here to read the Vice-President's speech in its entirety.