[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 35 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                THE RICKY RAY HEMOPHILIA RELIEF FUND ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I and 21 of my colleagues from both 
sides of the aisle took the first concrete steps toward righting a 
terrible wrong, by introducing the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act 
of 1995. This bill addresses the suffering of approximately 8,000 
people with hemophilia-associated AIDS and their families. The premise 
behind this legislation is simple: The Federal Government must assume 
partial responsibility for what happened to these people because it 
failed to respond to the warning signs that blood products sold in this 
country were contaminated with the deadly virus that causes AIDS. It's 
time for accountability. The facts of this tragedy are horrifying. 
During the years 1980 through 1987, despite medical advances that could 
have wiped out contaminants of blood products sold to hemophilia 
suffers, contaminated products continued to flood the marketplace and 
approximately 8,000 people with blood-clotting disorders became 
infected with HIV. Among the victims was a young Florida boy named 
Ricky Ray. He and his two brothers suffered from the hereditary blood-
clotting disease known as hemophilia, an illness that makes people 
vulnerable to potentially life-threatening bleeding episodes. The 
brothers Ray--and thousands of people like them--hailed blood-clotting 
products known as factor as a tremendous medical breakthrough that 
would change their lives forever. But there was a dark side to this new 
wonder treatment--and that was the transmission of dangerous blood-
borne viruses, such as hepatitis and eventually HIV. As a result, all 
of the Ray brothers became HIV-positive--and in December 1992 Ricky--
the eldest of the three--died of AIDS at the age of 15. Before his 
death, Ricky courageously spoke out and became a national symbol of 
this terrible situation. He inspired many of his peers to tell their 
stories and begin seeking answers from the Federal Government and the 
blood industry. I am saddened that he did not live to see the day when 
legislation would be introduced in his honor, but we know his brothers, 
his sister, his parents, and the extended family of friends he 
established around the country, all recognize the enormous contribution 
he made in his very short life. The Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund 
Act
 establishes a fund of $1 billion from which victims of this tragedy 
could collect $125,000 each. The fund sunsets after 5 years and 
eligibility for its benefits are carefully defined in the bill. This 
legislation is not about charity--and it is not about making everything 
all right for the victims. Certainly $125,000 is only a very small down 
payment on the staggering emotional and financial costs that 
hemophilia-associated AIDS places on its victims and their families. 
What this bill is about is the Federal Government owning up to a share 
of responsibility for what happened.

  In 17 other developed countries where similar disasters occurred, 
national governments have stepped up to their obligations and 
established compensation programs. It's time for the United States to 
follow that lead. As this legislation moves through the process of 
consideration in this House, we will debate the extent of Government's 
obligation and the proper response to this tragedy. I know many of my 
colleagues are concerned about setting precedents and spending money. I 
share that concern--but I believe this is one of the things Government 
should appropriately be doing, responding to a tragedy that the 
Government had some responsibility to prevent. Of course, we look 
forward to the upcoming release of a thorough study conducted by the 
National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine about what went 
wrong with the blood supply and how decisions about addressing those 
problems were made. Our legislation is in no way meant to prejudge or 
preclude that study, whose results should be available in May, nor do 
we have any interest in interfering with an ongoing legal process 
involving citizens and private industry. By presenting this bill to the 
House, we are simply acknowledging our commitment to the victims of 
this tragedy and our interest in seeing the Federal Government take 
action. I urge my colleagues to join us in this effort.

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