Much is Required

Jan 24th, 2007 4:30 PM UTC
By Virginia Simmons

Last night, saying “to whom much is given, much is required,” President
Bush spoke of some of the incredible advances our country has made in
the fight against extreme poverty over the last few years.

Some highlights:

The president spoke of the Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),
a commitment of $15 Billion over five years to support prevention,
treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Bush: “And because
you funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people
receiving life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000
in three short years.”
President Bush talked about the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a five-year, $1.2 billion program that challenges the private sector
to join the U.S. government in combating malaria in 15 of the
hardest-hit African countries.
The president asked our country to continue to support expanded trade
and debt relief, saying they are “the best hope for lifting lives and
eliminating poverty.”

Today, hundreds of thousands of people are alive because of America’s
programs and funding. As the first generation with the technology,
resources and know-how to end extreme poverty, we are proud and excited,
and know it is critical that President Bush, and both the Republican and
Democratic parties, work together to fully fund the fight in the fiscal
year 2008 budget.