This week, the House passed H.R. 5501 to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The House also passed H.R. 4847, the U.S. Fire Administration Reauthorization Act. A light legislative week was otherwise filled with non-controversial bills and resolutions.

Too Much

As the House considered legislation this week to reauthorize the President’s initiatives to assist foreign countries fight the spread of AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases, several contentious issues were addressed. The bill which passed the House was remarkably different than the original draft produced by the Democrat Majority. Republicans worked to include language in the bill that promotes abstinence education as the primary method of prevention. We worked to ensure that the programs supported by the bill were covered under the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits U.S. funding from going to any foreign nongovernmental organizations that performs and/or promotes abortion. The bill that passed the House maintains the Prostitution Pledge, the current requirement which states that organizations receiving funds under the Act must have a policy opposing prostitution and sex trafficking. We were also able to ensure that faith-based organizations play a prominent role in the efforts authorized in the bill and retained a provision that caps the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund at 33 percent. In addition, language requiring that the Global Fund meet certain transparency and accountability benchmarks was added.

These were all important victories for conservatives as the President’s initiatives move forward. However, I voted against this bill because while we are achieving formidable results overseas, we are not so successful at home. The total price tag for PEPFAR is $50 billion over five years; that is $35 billion more than the plan was originally authorized at in 2003 and far more than our country can afford right now. At a time when our government refuses to fulfill its commitment to rural counties by refusing to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, we should not be sending that much money on foreign aid. While I support to goals of PEPFAR, such a plan needs to operate within the parameters of what our country can afford without neglecting our own citizens. Unfortunately, this most recent bill falls short of that mark.

Fighting Fire

Last year was a particularly devastating year with regard to forest fires in California and for the Fourth Congressional District. Our country needs to do more to prevent the spread of wildfires, which is why I was pleased to support H.R. 4847, the U.S. Fire Administration Reauthorization Act, which passed the House this week by a unanimous vote. This bill authorizes on-site training to local fire departments, an upgrade of the National Fire Incident Reporting System, and training for firefighting activities in wildland-urban interfaces, developed areas that abut forests or other undeveloped lands.

These areas are prevalent in the Fourth Congressional District, particularly in the Tahoe Basin. Additionally, an important amendment was adopted in the bill to promote the importance of clearing biomass in wildland areas of federal lands. Wildland biomass, such as cut logs, small diameter trees and woody brush, is often responsible for the spread of wildfires. Once removed, biomass can become a source of renewable energy production. Clearing biomass in our forests offers a dual benefit by reducing the spread of wildfires while at the same time providing a source of renewable energy. We need to do more in this area, and this bill is a positive step in that direction.

Quote of the Week

“It is so great to be here, I was so worried I wasn't going to make it. I was pinned down by sniper fire,” Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on the April 3, 2008 Tonight Show, referring to her claims—since disputed—that she dodged sniper bullets while arriving in Bosnia as first lady. Clinton later said she “misspoke.”