[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 194 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORT THE RICKY RAY BILL

  (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, this morning, more than 200 high school 
students gathered on the Capital steps to rally in support of ``justice 
for all.'' They urge our passage of H.R. 1023, the Ricky Pay Hemophilia 
Relief Fund Act. This is a justice bill, designed to meet Government's 
share of the responsibility for a terrible medical tragedy that 
occurred in the early 1980's, when 8,000 people with hemophilia became 
infected with the virus that causes AIDS through the use of 
contaminated blood products. A review of the record shows that the 
Government failed to respond to the early warning signs of blood-borne 
AIDS and missed opportunities to protect hemophiliacs. The students 
have chosen to lobby on behalf of this legislation in part because most 
of them today are at the age that Ricky Ray--a constituent of mine--
would have been if he had lived.
  Tragically, Ricky Ray, and too many like him, succumbed to AIDS in 
December of 1992, at the age of only 15. Please join more than 160 of 
our colleagues and cosponsor this bill. It's the right thing to do.

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