[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 85 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1149-E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 21, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4635) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
     Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent 
     agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other 
     purposes.

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to increase 
the appropriation for the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, 
or HOPWA, program by $18 million. This is $10 million less than the 
President requested, and far less than is truly needed to adequately 
fund this vital program, but represents the amount necessary to ensure 
that those already in the program do not receive a cut in service. I am 
delighted by the bipartisan nature of this amendment and I would like 
to thank Mr. Shays, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Horn, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Cummings 
for joining me in offering this amendment and demonstrating the 
bipartisan support that this program enjoys.

[[Page E1150]]

  Mr. Chairman, at any given time, one-third to one-half of all 
Americans living with AIDS are either homeless or in imminent danger of 
losing their homes. These are people who face discrimination, or have 
lost their jobs due to illness or, most cruelly, must choose between 
expensive, life-saving medications and other necessities such as 
shelter.
  This is where HOPWA comes in. HOPWA is the only federal housing 
program that specifically provides cities and states with the resources 
to address the housing crisis facing people living with AIDS. Among the 
services HOPWA delivers are rental assistance, help with utility 
payments, and information on low-income housing opportunities.
  It is also a crucial element in the effective treatment of HIV and 
AIDS. There is a clear link between stable housing and the ability of 
individuals living with HIV to live long and healthy lives. Some people 
have responded so well to new therapies that they have been able to go 
back to work after years on disability. However, these treatments 
require a stable living environment to be effective. To deny 
individuals the means to get healthy would be a terrible cruelty.
  HOPWA is a locally controlled program that provides communities the 
flexibility to implement the strategies that best respond to local 
housing needs. It also supplies a low-cost alternative to acute-care 
hospital beds, typically paid for with Medicaid dollars, which are 
often the only available shelter for people living with AIDS. In fact, 
whereas an acute-care facility would cost, on average, between $1,085 a 
day under Medicaid, assistance under HOPWA averages just $55 to $110 a 
day. So, HOPWA is not just compassionate, it is cost-effective. 
Currently, FY 2000 funds are serving thousands of people in 67 
communities and 34 states. This is a well-run, far-reaching and 
successful program.
  But as the success of HOPWA grows, so too does the need for funding. 
As a result of recent advances in care and treatment, the people 
currently being housed are living longer and the waiting lists for 
these programs are growing even longer. HOPWA would require an increase 
just to keep up with inflation, but on top of these strains on the 
progam, 4 new cities will qualify for funds this year, stretching 
resources even thinner. The $18 million we ask for in this amendment, 
$10 million less than the President requested, is the bare minimum 
required if we are to ensure that those currently in the program are 
not threatened with a cut in service.
  As for the offset, let me be clear. This is not an attack on polar 
research. I am a very strong supporter of scientific research and I am 
disappointed that more money was not provided for it throughout the 
bill. However, under the budget rules, we must find an offset and a 
slight cut to the Polar and Antarctic research program, which receives 
a significant increase in this bill over last year, will do minimal 
harm to our research programs while providing very significant benefits 
to the HOPWA program and the people it serves. I would also add that 
there are eleven other agencies that supplement the work of NSF in the 
arctic, spending roughly $150 million a year, so this slight decrease 
will not damage our long-term research goals.
  Unfortunately, under these budget rules we are forced to pit one 
program against another. If we were not locked into the unrealistic 
caps placed on us by the Budget Resolution, I would advocate a large 
increase in both HOPWA and polar research. However, this is the hand we 
have been dealt and we must select our priorities.
  The housing crisis facing people living with HIV/AIDS exacts an 
enormous toll on individuals, their families, and communities across 
the country. HOPWA dollars help lessen this toll. Without proper 
funding for HOPWA, people with HIV and AIDS will continue to die 
prematurely in hospital rooms, shelters, and on the streets of our 
cities. I urge the adoption of this amendment.

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