[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   IN CHALLENGE TO CONGRESS, CLINTON TO ADMIT HIV-INFECTED IMMIGRANTS

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                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 22, 1994

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, last May the American public spoke their 
will and the Congress enacted a law to ban the immigration of 
individuals infected with HIV, a deadly communicable disease of public 
health significance. This legislation made it absolutely clear to the 
White House that HIV-infected immigrants pose a threat to the health 
and well-being of American citizens.
  Well, here it is not even 1 year after the enactment of the ban and 
President Clinton is poised to run roughshod over the will of people. 
The Clinton administration is preparing to allow HIV-infected 
immigrants to enter the United States to participate in the New York 
Gay Games in June. This directly conflicts with both the spirit and 
letter of the law and it is outrageous.
  With all the efforts being made to prevent the spread of the AIDS 
epidemic, how can the President knowingly admit new sources of 
contagious diseases into our country? President Clinton should stop 
playing politics to win the approval of a few liberal organizations and 
start using a little common sense.

                [From the New York Times, Feb. 25, 1994]

             White House Set to Waive HIV Ban for Gay Games

       Washington.--The Clinton administration is expected to 
     waive the rule that bars foreigners with human 
     immunodeficiency virus from entering the United States to 
     accommodate athletes and spectators planning to attend the 
     Gay Games in New York in June, officials in several federal 
     agencies said Thursday.
       The State Department actually took the first steps toward 
     issuing the visas, but suspended the effort after the Justice 
     Department said it had not yet approved the waiver.
       The Department of Health and Human Services and senior 
     officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service are 
     urging the Justice Department to grant the waiver, after 
     numerous gay groups asked the administration to remove 
     obstacles to the games. Sponsors say they expect 15,000 
     athletes from more than 40 countries.
       Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday that she had not 
     yet made up her mind on the subject, a matter of great 
     political sensitivity. But several officials said she is 
     expected to give her approval as a way of allowing the 
     administration to make a gesture to gay groups that have 
     attacked Mr. Clinton over his policy on homosexuals in the 
     military and his failure to meet a campaign promise to lift 
     the visa restrictions permanently.
       The Immigration and Naturalization Service is already 
     developing plans on the most efficient way to grant the 
     waivers. Under U.S. law, visas are denied to anyone with a 
     ``communicable disease of public health significance,'' a 
     requirement that includes infection with HIV.
       Making an already delicate situation something of a public 
     embarrassment, the State Department sent cables on Wednesday 
     to embassies and consulates around the world, telling them to 
     grant blanket 30-day waivers to people attending the Gay 
     Games.
       After the Justice Department objected, the State Department 
     said Thursday that the cables went out in error and rescinded 
     the instructions.
       ``The person over at State who sent that message simply 
     misunderstood the status of things,'' said Carl Stern, the 
     Justice Department spokesman.
       David M. Smith, spokesman for the National Gay and Lesbian 
     Task Force, said, ``It was a bureaucratic foulup, but there's 
     no reason to believe that Janet Reno won't ultimately approve 
     this request.''
       The Gay Games will be held from June 18 through June 25 in 
     conjunction with a cultural festival.

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