Musician Elton John urged Congress to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to continue fighting against the virus worldwide.
“We are living in deeply troubled times with countless global challenges — all of which I know beckon your time and attention. Given that, I am boundlessly grateful for the bipartisan cooperation that has been the hallmark of PEPFAR for two decades now,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the PEPFAR at 20: Achieving and Sustaining Epidemic Control hearing on Wednesday.
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John, who is gay, established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992. The virus has disproportionately affected the LGBT community since its discovery, particularly men.
He told the committee that “While this effort was initially conceived of by President Bush, it has been enthusiastically supported by four presidents and 10 Congresses, and consistently championed by the generosity of the American people."
According to the musician, "What America does for itself has made it strong, but what America does for others has made it great."
"There is no better symbol of American greatness than PEPFAR," he added.
John recalled testifying in Congress two decades ago when PEPFAR was first established. Since then, he said, it has changed the course of history.
“And the PEPFAR platform has not only transformed HIV into a chronic disease for tens of millions — it has been leveraged to fight [COVID-19] and made countries far better prepared for whatever viral nightmare comes next,” he claimed, calling it a "tribute to American leadership."
However, John warned, “We are not done yet," urging the committee to authorize PEPFAR for another five years.
“We have the tools, and we need to turn the tide, and increasingly national leadership, capacity, and ingenuity are taking what is good and making it better and more sustainable — but we need to keep our foot on the accelerator," he said.
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“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 concluded.
According to the State Department, which manages and oversees the program, "PEPFAR has invested over $100 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, saving 21 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and supporting several countries to achieve HIV epidemic control — all while significantly strengthening global health security."