Letter
Bishop Wenski's Letter to the U.S. House regarding PEPFAR (Feb 2008)
Letter from Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Chairman, USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace and Ken Hackett, President of Catholic Relief Services to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, February 6, 2008
"We are writing on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to express our strong support for continuing and strengthening the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), but also to express our profound concern regarding certain provisions in the January 18, 2008 draft of the House Foreign Affairs Committee bill to reauthorize the program. The proposed draft abandons important elements of a critical life-saving program with a proven record of success.
USCCB and CRS have been deeply committed to the success of the PEPFAR initiative since its overwhelming bipartisan approval by Congress in 2003. Domestically, we have been actively engaged in education and advocacy to support continued major investments in the U.S. effort to fight the global pandemic. Around the world, the Church has long been deeply involved in offering life-saving help to people threatened by HIV and AIDS, regardless of race, creed or social status. The activities of Catholic health institutions extend from major urban centers to the most remote rural villages and deliver approximately 25% of all HIV and AIDS care worldwide."