Elton John tells Congress to keep funding Biden’s battle to end AIDS and thanks lawmakers for their support in rare appearance
- British music star Elton John testified before senators on the fight against AIDS
- The campaigner and fundraiser said now was not the time to let up in the battle
- Congress must reauthorize a multi-billion-dollar program to fight the disease
British pop star Elton John urged U.S. senators on Wednesday not to let up in the battle against HIV and AIDS, as Congress approaches a September deadline for reauthorizing the multi-billion-dollar program to fight the disease.
‘There is no better symbol of American greatness than PEPFAR, and you should all be very proud of your extraordinary efforts,’ he told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on renewing the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR).
The Tiny Dancer singer has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fight AIDS through his foundation.
And in February he traveled to South Africa to see for himself the impact of PEPFAR, which is credited with saving 25 million lives since 2003.
The program is expected to be reauthorized for another five years. But that could be undermined by partisan wrangling over raising the federal debt limit and slashing spending.
British pop star Elton John urged senators on Wednesday not to let up in the battle against AIDS, as Congress approaches a deadline for reauthorizing a multi-billion-dollar program
John, wearing pink-tinted spectacles as he addressed senators by videolink from the United Kingdom, said now was not the time to ease up.
‘We need to keep our foot on the accelerator. We’ve come so far in such a short time, relatively. By extending PEPFAR for another five years and fully funding it, together we can continue the march toward ending AIDS for everyone everywhere and leave no one behind,’ he said.
PEPFAR was created in 2003 under then-President George W. Bush.
In its early years a requirement that a third of spending go to abstinence-before-marriage programs attracted criticism, before that stipulation was dropped in 2008.
Since then it has been supported by both Republican and Democratic presidents, and has wide bipartisan support in Congress.
And it has contributed more than $100 billion in the global fight against HIV and AIDS.
John said it was an ‘inspirational effort.’
John, wearing pink-tinted spectacles as he addressed senators by videolink from the United Kingdom, said now was not the time to ease up in the global fight to end HIV and AIDS
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief was created by President George W. Bush in 2003. In February he marked its 20th anniversary at the Peace Institute in Washington
‘I think together we can get rid of this,’ he said.
‘I really believe that. But we have a lot of work to do.’
Sen. Bob Menéndez, the Democratic chairman of the committee, praised his commitment to the cause.
‘Some people use their fame in a way that only inures to themselves,’ he said.
‘Others use their fame in a way that saves the lives of others.’
The top Republican on the committee Sen. Jim Risch said: ‘I urge my colleagues to join me in working to reauthorize PEPFAR without delay and without new mandates and directives.’
