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Mrs. Bush's Remarks to National Press Club Newsmakers Luncheon

National Press Club

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12:09 P.M. EDTMRS. BUSH: Thank you all. Thank you, Jerry. Thanks everybody.The promise that I would never have to give a political speech wasactually our pre-nup. (Laughter.) But it did -- I also promised that Iwould run with George, be a jogger with him -- and I never once did it,so I guess I don't feel that bad about his breaking the promise. I'mhappy to actually speak and to have this opportunity to speak to all ofyou.Thank you, Jerry, very much. Thank you for your kind introduction.Thank you, Katherine, the event organizer. Thank you for asking mehere. And I want to say a special thanks to the people who have joinedme today that I invited to sit on the head table, and that's AmbassadorMark Dybul, the Global AIDS Coordinator. Thank you very much, Mark, forjoining us. Ambassador John Danilovich, the Millennium ChallengeCorporation CEO. Thank you, John. Bruce Wilkinson, who is the Directorof RAPIDS. And Bruce really represents today at the head table all ofthe charitable and faith-based non-government organizations that are onthe ground in Africa -- organizations that our government uses to makesure we can reach into every community as we work to try to eradicatemalaria or AIDS.I also have on my paper, but I don't see him here, that Admiral TimZiemer, who is the U.S. Malaria Coordinator, is here.What about Dr.Sarah Moten? There is Dr. Moten, I see her here. Is Admiral Ziemerhere? Oh, there he is right there, good. Thank you very much forjoining us. Dr. Moten is the USAID Director of the Africa EducationInitiative, and thank you, Sarah, very much for being here.Members of the press, congressional staff, distinguished guests, thankyou for your welcome back to the National Press Club. Many of you areprint reporters, so you might appreciate the fact that yesterday, Ivisited the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut.Mark Twain, oneof our greatest American writers got his start as a print journalist.Despite the fact that some of his earliest work was published innewspapers, Twain didn't seem to have much use for them. He once said,"Advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in newspapers."(Laughter.) I was going to tease you all about this -- until I readwhat he said about presidents.(Laughter.)I know that the Q&A session is the centerpiece of the Press Club'sNewsmaker Luncheon, so I thought I'd start by addressing a fundamentalquestion about the United States involvement in development in Africa,and that is, why? Why would we spend our time and money working on thatcontinent?African development is an issue that President Bush and I care aboutvery deeply. It's an issue that's drawn the attention of our formerpresidents, of world leaders, of heads of businesses and religiousgroups, of artists and musicians, and compassionate people the worldover. And in recent interviews, your colleagues have asked me the samequestions many of you are probably asking, and that is: When there areproblems in so many countries around the world, why are so many eyesturned to this place, at this time? Why Africa?Every year, the American taxpayers spend more than $6.5 billion onAfrican development. We're able to provide these resources because ourhistory has yielded a free and prosperous nation. In Africa, however,history has been less kind. Colonialism, the slave trade, poverty, andwar have each, by turns, devastated the continent. In recent decades,African nations have faced a new deadly threat, and that's a pandemicdisease that claim millions of lives every year.Despite these challenges, the people of Africa remain hopeful.If youask, "Why Africa?" one answer is that there is now unprecedentedoptimism that these challenges can be overcome. In fact, a recent pollshowed that most Africans believe they are better off today than theywere five years ago, and that they're encouraged about the prospects forfuture generations.They report greater confidence in their governments -- which, withtechnical and financial support from the United States and otherdeveloped countries, are beginning to devise solutions to poverty, lackof education and disease.The philosophy behind these solutions is real partnership betweengovernments. Because the United States has a thriving economy, we'reable to provide some resources for development efforts around the world.The leadership for these efforts comes from the developing nations,themselves.Our aid initiatives are effective because countries in Africa devisetheir own national development strategies. Before the U.S. providesmoney, our partner governments devise how they'll invest in expensiveinfrastructure, and combat poverty, malaria, lack of education, andAIDS. The ultimate goal of all these development partnerships islong-term, sustainable economic growth. We know that people who arehealthy and educated are more likely to prosper. And we know thatsocieties with strong economies are more likely to be able to sustaintransparent governments that are accountable to their people.Our partnerships with the countries of Africa are yielding progress.Across the continent, college degrees are being completed; roads andairports are being built; and lives are being saved. Last month, Itraveled to the African nations of Senegal, Mozambique, Zambia and Mali.This was my third trip to Africa on my own. I visited schools andvillages, clinics and hospitals, micro-credit programs and communitycenters supported by the American people -- and I saw many signs of thisprogress.I visited programs that are helping the people of these nations buildeducated, prosperous and just societies. If you ask, "Why Africa?", oneanswer is that it is in our country's interest to stand with governmentsthat bring stability and opportunity to their people. We've learnedthat it's in our urgent interest to invest in successful governmentsnow, so that we don't have to pay the price for failed governments downthe road.The last time I addressed the National Press Club was in November 2001,to speak about the events of September 11th. The attacks of that dayreminded us that misery and oppression on another continent can manifestthemselves on the next block -- a lesson that has been re-taught incities from London to Madrid to Jakarta. We've learned that nationsthat value human freedom are more likely to be our partners inmaintaining security. And we know that nations that value educationaland economic freedom for all their citizens are more likely to be ourpartners in fostering prosperity.On my trip, I visited programs that invest in educational opportunitiesfor African children. I met with students who benefit from ourgovernment's Africa Education Initiative. Launched in 2002, AEI is a$600 million program that will provide scholarships to 550,000 Africangirls, and train more than 900,000 teachers, by the year 2010.At the Grand Medine Primary School in Dakar, Senegal, I met with fiveyoung women who are receiving AEI Ambassadors' Girls Scholarships. Theycome from rural Senegalese villages -- their villages are withoutelectricity or running water. In that village, education for women israre. One of the young women, Nango Dang, hopes to become the firstgirl in her village to ever go to college. And since her community hasno nurses or doctors, she wants to study medicine so she can return toher village and serve her people.I helped distribute books produced through the AEI's Textbooks andLearning Materials program. Six African countries have partnered withsix American universities -- primarily minority-serving universities --to produce 15 million school textbooks. Through the program, more thana million books that are Africa-centered, tailored to the culture andcurriculum of Senegal, written in French, printed in Senegal are beingdelivered to that nation's schools.Many of these books were pilot-tested at Grand Medine School. For thefirst time, the school's math texts teach basic statistics. From theirhealth books, the students learn how to prevent HIV/AIDS. They go homeand inform their parents that mosquitoes transmit malaria, and they passalong lessons about basic first aid. Grand Medine teachers say theirstudents are so excited by these new books that they skip ahead of theirteachers and can't wait for the next lessons.On my trip, I also saw programs that invest in economic opportunity forAfrica. My day in Mozambique, by coincidence, was the same day thatcountry's half-billion-dollar Millennium Challenge Compact was approvedin the United States. It was fun to be in Maputo with Mozambique'sPresident Guebuza to celebrate.In 2002, President Bush proposed the Millennium Challenge Corporation,which Congress established in 2004, to encourage governments to investin their own people, foster economic freedom, and become moretransparent. Through MCC, nations led by accountable governments devisetheir own development strategies, based on the needs of their countries.Once they've been approved by the MCC compact, the corporation providesMCC countries with the money to achieve their strategy.The infrastructure these countries built with MCC help gives people inthese nations the resources they need to improve education, to createjobs, and to sustain economic growth long after MCC sunsets. When I wasin Mozambique, President Guebuza explained how the MCC compact will helphis country upgrade its roads, improve agriculture, invest in watertreatment and wells, and strengthen property rights.In Mozambique and Mali, which is also an MCC country, leaders told mehow this initiative is giving their nations the first real chancethey've ever had to take charge of their own development agendas. MCCresources support African governments as they take on difficult reforms,and work to lift their citizens out of poverty. If Congress makesfunding the MCC a priority, the American people can continue to supportgovernments that will use the money wisely to build up their countries,and to foster accountability and justice.If you ask, "Why Africa?", one answer is that we have a moral obligationto help. The American people believe that every life, in every land,has value and dignity.Many Americans are called to help others meetthese basic human needs. Our country's citizens provide food and cleanwater so that mothers can see their children grow up healthy. Weprovide books and teachers, so that people can read and write.Ourcountry supports doctors, medicines, and basic care, so that people canenjoy the blessings of good health.The things we take for granted here in the United States have anenormous impact on the lives of people in Africa. In Zambia, I visitedthe Regiment School, which benefits from an innovative solution to oneof the greatest development challenges in Africa: the lack of cleanwater.Every 15 seconds, a child dies because of water-relatedillnesses. The work of fetching water keeps children out of school, andis the central daily task for women and girls.At the Regiment School, the water supply was once so limited, theprincipal had to ask children to carry their own water from home. Nowstudents have steady access to clean water, thanks to the U.S.government, the Case Foundation, and other partners.These partners joined to finance the Regiment School's PlayPump: achildren's merry-go-round that's attached to a storage tank and a waterpump. When the wheel turns, clean drinking water is produced.The pumpis fueled by a limitless source of energy: children at play.(Applause.) The Regiment School's Playpump is one of 4,000 that thispartnership will build to provide 10 million Africans with clean waterby the year 2010.In Mozambique, very simple technologies protect people from thedevastating epidemic of malaria. This treatable and preventable disease-- which we eradicated in the United States half a century ago -- claimsmore than a million African lives every year. Somewhere in Africa, amother loses her baby to malaria every 30 seconds. The disease imposesa crushing burden on developing African economies. When children aresick with malaria, they can't be in school. When adults are sick withmalaria, they can't work.Doctors, nurses and caregivers treating malaria patients can't devotetheir time and resources to other health challenges -- like cholera,tuberculosis, or AIDS.In some countries, malaria consumes 40 percentof spending on public health. In Mozambique -- where malaria is theleading cause of death -- the illness accounts for 40 percent ofoutpatient consultations, 60 percent of pediatric inpatients, and athird of pediatric hospital deaths. If malaria were eradicated on theAfrican continent, an enormous burden would be lifted from nations'already weakened health infrastructure.In 2005, President Bush launched the President's Malaria Initiative: afive-year program to combat malaria in the hardest-hit African nations.So far, the initiative has distributed life-saving medicines,insecticide sprays, and mosquito nets to millions of people across thecontinent. By the end of next year, 70 percent of families living ineight President's Malaria Initiative countries will be protected byinsecticide-treated nets.I visited Mozambique's remote Mozal village, which receives bed netsprovided through PMI -- and is treated with mosquito-sprays supported bythe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Amid Mozal'scluster of tiny huts lives the Arbino family. Jose and Ana Arbino arethe proud parents of four precious children. They've suffered as allparents do when their babies are sick, watching their children come downwith the tell-tale fever.On the day I visited, the Arbinos had a scare when their baby girl wastaken to the hospital with malaria symptoms. Fortunately, her test cameback negative.Too many children in Mozambique are not so lucky -- butwith sprays and nets, parents and children of Mozal can look forward toa life free from malaria.If you ask, "Why Africa?", one answer is that what we're doing in Africaworks.We've developed successful models for development based onstrong partnerships with African governments. Our initiatives are alsoworking because we partner with other developed nations. And with allof our development programs, we partner with the private sector.President Bush has called on foundations, businesses, religious groups,and private citizens to join the fight against poverty and pandemicdisease.Across Africa, we're seeing the success of these partnerships --especially in our efforts to address one of the greatest humanitarianchallenges of all time: the crisis of HIV/AIDS. Around the world,nearly 40 million people are infected.AIDS respects no nationalboundaries; spares no race or religion; devastates men and women, richand poor.AIDS is a problem in our own country, where more than a million peopleare living with HIV. Since 2001, the U.S. government has devotedapproximately $18 billion to domestic HIV/AIDS research, and providednearly $90 billion for treatment and care -- increasing annual fundingby 47 percent.Government initiatives also promote voluntary testing,so that more Americans can know their status and help prevent the spreadof HIV/AIDS here at home.This disease's most devastating toll, though, is felt in sub-SaharanAfrica, which represents about 26 million of the world's HIV infections.In 2003, President Bush announced the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: afive-year, $15 billion initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in 120 countriesaround the world. In the years since, thanks to the strong bipartisansupport in Congress, our country has met this pledge -- and our actualcommitment over five years will exceed $18 billion.The Emergency Plan works in partnership with the hardest-hit countries,and that partnership is saving lives. When President Bush announcedPEPFAR at the beginning of 2003, only 50,000 people in sub-SaharanAfrica were thought to be receiving antiretroviral treatment. Now, inPEPFAR's 15 focus nations, the United States has helped providetreatment for more than a million people.PEPFAR has supported care for more than 2 million orphans and vulnerablechildren. And in its first three-and-a-half years, PEPFAR has supportedservices for pregnant women to avoid transmission of HIV to their babies-- preventing more than 100,000 infant infections through March of thisyear. This direct medical care keeps people in good health. Andeducation is spreading hope. Millions are now learning to live with HIV-- instead of waiting to die from it.This is the beginning of a long journey. The challenges of thispandemic remain immense, and there is much to be done.We must focus onHIV prevention, which is essential to winning the fight against AIDS.Just last year, there were more than 4 million new HIV infections. Witheach infection we prevent, we keep one person alive and healthy -- butwe also protect their partner, and we keep their children from beingorphaned.PEPFAR supports the most comprehensive, evidence-based preventionprogram in the world. Our interventions are tailored to each focusnation -- targeting sexual behavior, mother-to-child transmission, andunsafe blood and medical injections, depending on the needs of eachcountry. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. has supported nearly 19 millioncounseling and testing sessions. When people know their status, theycan protect themselves and their loved ones from HIV.In developing prevention methods, the United States is following thelead of our African partners. We support the ABC model of AIDSprevention, which was developed by Africans -- and which has led todramatic declines in HIV infection rates in young men and women. Peopleare changing their behavior, and all three are the essential components:Abstinence, Being faithful, and the Correct and Consistent use ofCondoms.Promising trends are emerging in countries that have embraced ABC,including Uganda, Botswana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia. In Kenya,HIV prevalence has dropped from a peak of about 10 percent in themid-1990s to just above 6 percent today. Data suggest that Kenyan menare having fewer sexual partners; women are delaying their sexual debut;and people who were once sexually active are now abstaining. Women whodo engage in risky behavior report an increased use of condoms.At the Regiment School, 300 students are AIDS orphans -- so the diseaseis personal, and real, to this community. Painted on the school'sperimeter wall and classroom buildings are messages promoting abstinenceand HIV-prevention. PEPFAR supports Regiment's Anti-AIDS Drama Club,which uses dances, skits, and songs to open dialogue and reduce stigma.Ambassador Dybul and I watched one of their performances. After theskit, the club performed a song with powerful, determined lyrics. Theysang, "We are fighters against HIV and AIDS. Keep the promise againstHIV and AIDS."President Bush is determined to keep our country's promise against HIVand AIDS. In May, he announced that he'll work with Congress to buildon the Emergency Plan's early success, and to reauthorize the programfor another 5 years. He has proposed doubling the American people'sinitial commitment to $30 billion. This increase would bring theoverall U.S. pledge to a remarkable total of more than $48 billion over18 years -- over 10 years, that is -- the largest commitment by anynation to fight a disease in human history.I'd like to urge members of Congress to support -- and in Washington, ofcourse that means fund -- this important initiative. The world isalready showing its support: This June, after President Bush proposeddoubling PEPFAR, the G8 nations responded by pledging $60 billion tofight tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.Throughout my trip, I met people who benefit from our country's promiseagainst HIV and AIDS. In Mozambique, at the PEPFAR-supported MaputoPediatric Hospital, I met with children participating in the PositiveArt project. This program gives children a creative outlet forexpression while they, or their moms, are being treated for HIV. Whilethe kids paint, their mothers enjoy Positive Tea time.This is aterrific support group, because even though about 16 percent ofMozambique's population is living with HIV, the disease still carries ahuge stigma.Positive Tea brings the HIV-positive mothers together to support oneanother, and to listen to one another's concerns. One of theHIV-positive mothers, Julia, shared the story of her HIV treatment andher two-year-old daughter's chemotherapy. It was when Julia's littlegirl first became sick with blood cancer that Julia had her tested forHIV -- and her daughter's result came back positive. But with supportfrom PEPFAR, both Julia and her baby girl are living positively.I was especially touched by the programs I saw in Zambia. More than 16percent of the country's adult population has HIV/AIDS, and the diseasehas made orphans out of more than 700,000 Zambian children. In Lusaka,I visited Chreso Ministries, which is run by the Gospel OutreachFellowship. All of the Chreso clinic's antiretrovirals are provided byPEPFAR. In Chreso's worship hall, I met with patients and careproviders. One woman, Patricia, told us about the pain of stigma --about losing her job when people found out she was positive. Anotherwoman explained how out of her family of 29, only 14 are still alive --and 12 of them are HIV-positive. One man, Jonathan -- a married fatherof four -- explained that he was so weak from AIDS, that his entirefamily thought he was going to die. But with the treatment he receivesat Chreso, he said, "I am healthy. My children are in school.And myfamily is smiling."Another moving visit was to the Mututa Center.Mututa's directorestablished the center in honor of her husband, who died from AIDS. AtMututa, the RAPIDS Consortium - and Bruce is here from Rapids, a groupof religious institutions led by World Vision -- brings the personal,healing touch of faith to the campaign against HIV/AIDS. With supportfrom PEFPAR, a corps of dedicated caregivers fans out into the ruralcommunity on bicycle and foot.They go door-to-door with care kits andantiretroviral drugs. And now they're also taking insecticide mosquitonets with them. By encouraging clients to be tested for HIV, and toseek treatment, the caregivers help bring ailing people back to life.Beneath the trees of Mututa's citrus orchard, caregivers and patientstold me of their personal struggles with HIV. Tears streamed down thefaces of two young women, Sarah and Mwelwa, as they shared their storiesof abuse and rape. There was pain in the re-telling, but there was alsohope: The confidence to speak out is a sign of healing. With help fromMututa, both girls plan to finish their educations. Mwelwa is an AIDSorphan, and she hopes to become a pediatrician, to help other orphanslead healthier and more hopeful lives.The youngest member of the group was a 10-year-old boy named Raphael,who was orphaned at the age of 3, and is HIV-positive.Raphael was neardeath when a friend of Raphael's late father and a Mututa caregiver,Sylvester, found him. Sylvester made sure Raphael got on antiretroviraltreatment, and today keeps up his regimen. Raphael is now a regularvisitor to Sylvester's home. They pray together, and the little boy andthe grandfatherly volunteer have become best friends.Raphael is first in his 6th-grade class and he plans to attend theUniversity of Zambia. Thanks to Mututa and Sylvester, this HIV patientwho no one would have expected to survive, now expects a long life.A favorite in the Mututa community is Esnart Banda. Three years ago,Esnart didn't know she had HIV -- but she knew she was sick. Shesuffered recurring bouts of tuberculosis, and her body was covered withsores.Her husband abandoned her, taking all of their household itemswith him. She struggled to care for herself, but was too feeble. Fortwo weeks she lay bed-ridden, alone and afraid. "Eventually," Esnartsaid, "I just accepted that I was going to die."That's when Esnart met Vaines, a World Vision caregiver from Mututa.Vaines was in Esnart's neighborhood, going door to door, asking whetheranybody needed medical attention. By chance, she happened upon Esnart.Vaines and her fellow caregivers bathed Esnart and cleaned her sores.They gave her blankets and a jacket. They encouraged her to be testedfor HIV. And when Esnart learned she was positive, they provided herwith antiretrovirals. Soon after she went on the medicines, she foundenergy she hadn't felt for ages.With money she received from Mututa, she started a business. Everynight she cooks samoosas, chapat, and gamola -- Asian sweets that arepopular in her community. In the morning, she's a regular on the roadto the nearby market, selling her treats. "Before, I didn't have thestrength," she said, "but now I can do whatever I need to." Hertransformation, she says, "was a miracle."Esnart and Vaines use a phrase heard increasingly throughout Africa:They speak of a "Lazarus effect," where people who once waited quietlyfor death celebrate a second chance at life.These daily miracles are made possible by partnerships like PEPFAR, thecompassion of the American people, and the determination of citizensthroughout Africa -- citizens like Esnart and Vaines; like Raphael andSylvester; like Julia and Jonathan. If you ask "Why Africa?", they arethe most important answer. They share the same dreams as people acrosstheir continent, and everywhere: of good health today, and a morehopeful future for their children.It's in our country's interests to help the nations of Africa buildstable societies. Compassionate Americans want to help not for our ownbenefit, but because we believe that every human life has value.Our partners in Africa are faced with extraordinary challenges -- but asPresident Bush has said, Africa is much more than the sum of itsproblems. It's a beautiful continent with fascinating cultures, withproud and determined people, who have an entrepreneurial spirit and adeep faith. And if you have the opportunity to meet these people, yourquestion will no longer be "Why Africa?" It will be, "Why not?"Thank you all.Thanks so much for coming today. (Applause.)Okay, now I'm ready for the questions.Are you ready, Jerry?MR. ZREMSKI: Thank you very much. Mrs. Bush's staff has informed me wehave about 10 minutes for questions, and we have lots of them, so I'mgoing to speak really fast. (Laughter.)First of all, what was the most impressive, life altering situation thatyou witnessed during your recent trip to Africa?MRS. BUSH: Well, I think it was hearing the "Lazarus effect," I mean,these stories of people who were literally dying and then once they wereon antiretrovirals they came back to life. But certainly one of themost moving parts is the work that so many groups are doing on ground inAfrica. Bruce's group, the RAPIDS Consortium, have a donor who hasgiven 23,000 bicycles to Zambia, so that the care-givers that we met canliterally go door to door in their neighborhoods and find out who needshelp.One of the reasons PEPFAR and these other programs are effective isbecause we're working with people who are already on the ground and whocan go door to door. And to hear the stories of these care-givers wasreally very, very inspiring.Q During your trip you visited two countries that were majorityMuslim, Mali and Senegal. Was there any difference in the way you werereceived or the way the U.S. was perceived in those countries, comparedto Mozambique and Zambia?MRS. BUSH: No, there really wasn't. I was very welcomed in both ofthose countries. And, actually, both of those countries have a littlebit lower HIV rate, and they think maybe because the Muslim religion ismore conservative, that that might be one. Mali is not really on atrade route to anywhere, so they didn't have a lot of traders comethrough and spread HIV/AIDS. But, no, I was very welcomed there andAmericans are very popular in both of those countries.Q One of the Bush administration's main efforts in Africa has beenthe Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is kind of facing achallenge itself in Congress right now, with a potential funding cutfrom the $3 billion that your husband recommended down to $1.2 billion.How worried are you about that and how would that affect your efforts inAfrica if that cut were to go forward?MRS. BUSH: Well, Millennium Challenge is not just Africa, they're alsoCentral American and Asian countries and countries like the Ukraine andGeorgia, central European countries that also either have been approvedas Millennium Challenge countries or are on the list and could beapproved.We need at least I think $1.8 billion to fulfill our obligations to thecountries we've already approved, and then to approve these countriesthat are working very hard to devise their strategies.It's not an easyprocess, and Ambassador Danilovich is here and he can tell you moreabout it. But I think it's a very, very important way to build theinfrastructure that these country's governments are never going to beable to afford on their own. They really need this sort of development.And the thing that -- we take all of our infrastructure so for granted.We don't really ever think what a legacy we have from every generationfor us of all the -- not just the infrastructure, the physicalinfrastructure, which is so expensive, but also the infrastructure oflaw and civil society that we have, that we take for granted.But it's very important and I urge the Congress to at least appropriate$1.8 billion, if not more, for this. I think it's one of our mosteffective ways we've ever given foreign aid in our history.AMBASSADOR DANILOVICH:Thank you very much for that endorsement, Mrs.Bush; I very much appreciate it. The MCC has been in existence for onlythree years, and in that short period of time, has already achievedtremendous results, not only in terms of project implementation, but interms of incentivizing countries -- as Mrs. Bush has said -- to have agood government, to have good governance. And it's done a tremendousamount to increase the stability and security in those parts of theworld, as well as reduce poverty. It's very important that we have that$1.8 billion for FY '08 to continue this initiative. It's one of themost important initiatives and effective instruments that the U.S.government has for development assistance in the world today.Thank you.MRS. BUSH: Thanks, Ambassador.Q China is also very active in Africa, and, frankly, China may nothave the same kind of human rights concerns that we have as a nation.And I was wondering if that would be a concern to the U.S. government?MRS. BUSH: Well, you're right, China is very active. And as you know,China makes compacts with countries -- they use or take the resourcesthey want, oil and gas, or whatever other resources some countries have.And because those countries are so poor, they make those agreements.China offers to provide certain things for them, a lot of timesinfrastructure building. But China, because they have so much labor,bring their own labor.In other words, they don't use -- they don'ttrain people who live in Africa in construction or in whatever elsethey're working on -- mining, whatever else, all those people who needjobs, as well, and need training so they can support their own familiesand have a job for the rest of their lives. Instead, they bring theirown labor.When I went to Liberia, to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's inauguration, I wasriding with our ambassador there, and he pointed out a stadium, a soccerstadium that China had built in Liberia. And I said, oh, great, theymust have really trained a lot of Liberians in construction. And hesaid, no, no Liberians are employed because they bring their own labor.And I think that's one of the really important things about the MCC, isthese are jobs for people that live there to have, and ways for peoplethat live there to get skills so they can continue to work for the restof their life.Q We have several questions about AIDS in Africa. Is there anything,in addition to funding, that can change the course of the AIDS epidemicin Africa?MRS. BUSH: There are several things. I think if stigma can be reducedso that people will get tested, so that everyone will get tested. Ijust recently -- which you may not know, but Howard University Hospitalis serving as a cite for the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, wouldlike for all Americans to make an AIDS test just part of your regular --all the battery of tests that you have whenever you have a physical,because they think that there are around 250,000 Americans who areHIV-positive that don't know it.And Dr. Tony Fauci was with me at Howard University Hospital, where thehospital is offering a free AIDS test, and it's just a mouth swab now --this is in the U.S., I'm not sure that it's so simple yet across Africa.But they're offering it to every single person that comes to thehospital, whether you come into the emergency room with a broken arm, oryou're coming for a face lift, they offer the free AIDS test, and nearlyeveryone takes it. And it's very fast. You just wait for 15 minutes,and then they're set up with counseling. And they do find just sort ofwhat they thought may be -- I'm not positive about this, but some verysmall percentage are HIV-positive of the people that come in to thehospital.Dr. Fauci told me -- he said, you know, there's sort of this myth thatonce people find out they're HIV-positive, they quit protecting theirpartner; they think, well, I'm infected, I don't care if I infect otherpeople. But he said that is absolutely not true, that people who knowthey are HIV-positive really try to protect their partners, and changetheir behavior, in fact, to protect their partners.So I think if we could have very extensive testing, if we had a cheapand very effective way to test everywhere and could reduce the stigma offinding out you're positive, that that would go a long way towardhelping us slowly eradicate AIDS.Q We also have a few questions about your role as First Lady,including this one: What have you learned about the American people?How have your perceptions of the American people changed in your yearsin the White House?MRS. BUSH: Well, I already knew this about the American people, butwhat I find that's reinforced every single day, no matter where I go,but certainly when I was in Africa with groups like Bruce's RAPIDSgroup, or every other group that I was there with that's supported insome way by Americans, is how generous and compassionate Americans are,and how we all take -- feel a real responsibility to do things in theoutside world, to do things outside of our own lives; to volunteer, tobe concerned about other people, to give money to other people.But it really is, I think, a trait that's particularly American, andthat is this responsibility that all Americans seem to feel to reach outof their own lives and their own small family lives to try to help otherpeople at home and everywhere around the world.Q We're almost out of time, but we have time for one last question,and that is this: Early on, you said that the job of First Lady reallyhad no job description. Would you venture to give us one now, after allthese years? (Laughter.)MRS. BUSH: Well, I still believe -- obviously, the First Lady is notelected, there's no written organization chart that shows what her jobis -- or the First Gentleman, if there's going to be one. But on theother hand, what I think -- and this is after studying first ladies, andknowing some of them very well, like my own mother-in-law -- (laughter)-- or one that I admired very much, a fellow Texan, Lady Bird Johnson --is that we benefit, our country benefits by whatever our First Ladies'interest are. And that in many cases -- I've said this before, youprobably heard it -- the First Ladies' records are better than thePresidents because they don't have to deal with every single issue. Andthey have the opportunity to focus on just a few things -- and in mostcases throughout our history, it's been what they were alreadyinterested in, what their field already was, what their expertisealready was, and they've been able to magnify that across our country,and in recent years, because our world has gotten so small, across theworld.And I think that's what First Ladies do. And I really believe, also,that the American people want the First Ladies to do whatever they wantto; that they don't think the First Ladies have to do somethingspecific. Even now, I don't think they even think you have to be a goodhostess -- (laughter) -- which earlier maybe in our history, that wasone of the main roles.But of course that's certainly also a role, andI know that Americans are proud when, for instance, Queen Elizabeth cameto the White House, or when we host all the other world leaders or headsof state here in the United States at the White House.Is that it?MR. ZREMSKI: Thank you very much.MRS. BUSH: Okay. Thank you all very, very much. I appreciate it alot. Thank you. (Applause.)END 12:55 P.M. EDT Printer-Friendly Version Email this page to a friend