[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 7, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 641, RYAN WHITE CARE ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1996

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                               speech of

                          HON. DAVID E. SKAGGS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 1, 1996

  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, this bill is long overdue, and it's the 
least we can do for those of our fellow citizens suffering from HIV and 
AIDS. I want to thank the conferees for this good final product and 
this step forward in the long fight against this disease.
  In the Denver metro area, nearly 6,000 Coloradans and their families 
struggle with HIV or AIDS every day. For them, Ryan White programs 
provide some hope and some small measure of security.
  As we take this good step today, we should also keep our eye on the 
ultimate goal of unlocking the secrets of this disease and someday 
making these Ryan White programs as obsolete as the iron lung. The 
research mission here has begun producing real results and fresh hope, 
and we should rededicate ourselves to that effort today.
  This isn't a perfect bill, and I do have concerns about the 
provisions that could lead us down the path to mandatory HIV testing. 
While it's good for physicians to encourage testing, for the sake of 
children and mothers at risk, we must guard against the unintended and 
unwanted effect of discouraging women from getting the help they need. 
The bill does give us a couple of years of breathing room on this, and 
I hope we reexamine this issue with the attention it deserves.
  That significant issue aside, this bill meets a dire need, and I urge 
my colleagues to support it--along with the other prevention and 
research components that are just as crucial to the fight against HIV 
and AIDS.

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