[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 76 (Tuesday, June 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1005-E1006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COMMEMORATING THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIV/AIDS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 5, 2001

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw my 
colleague's attention to a tragic anniversary. It was twenty years ago 
today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
published the first report of what is now known as HIV/AIDS. I ask my 
colleagues to join with me today in renewing our commitment to conquer 
HIV and AIDS and to support efforts to end the spread of HIV.
  Today marks the beginning of the third decade with AIDS, and almost 
40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Here in the 
United States, increased social awareness and HIV/AIDs initiatives have 
created a perception that the AIDS pandemic is over. However, AIDS/HIV 
continues to destroy American families, neighborhoods, and communities. 
Women and children are especially susceptible to the disease. Between 
1994 and 1998, the number of women living wth AIDS nearly doubled. 
Moreover, there are an estimated 120,000 to 160,000 women living with 
HIV. It is especially alarming that seventy-eight percent of the AIDS 
cases in American women ages 20-24 are minorities.
  Minorities account for over two thirds of the new AIDS cases reported 
in this country, and people of color account for more than half of AIDS 
cases worldwide. Children are fast becoming the innocent victims of 
HIV; the number of children living with HIV and AIDS is at an all-time 
high. Even communities that were leading in the battle against HIV/AIDS 
have suffered set backs in the last few years. The gay community, which 
was the first community mobilize and educate itself shortly following 
its tidal wave of infections in the early 1980s, is seeing increases in 
infection rates that had long lingered between 3 and 5 percent. A 
recent report by the CDC suggests that there is resurgence of HIV 
infection in the gay community, especially among African-Americans and 
Hispanics.
  In comparison to other regions of the world, America has escaped the 
epidemic proportions of AIDS seen around the world. Sub-Saharan Africa 
has been far more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the 
world. The United Nations reports that 25.3 million adults and children 
are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 10% of 
the world's population but more than 70% of the worldwide total of 
infected people. I applaud the efforts of my colleagues who have worked 
tirelessly to the awareness of the members of this body of the 
conditions in Africa.
  Since the onset of HIV/AIDS in 1981, we here in Congress, have 
attempted to address the issue. Not knowing of the complications and 
aggression of HIV/AIDS, in FY81 the Department of Health and Human 
Services received $200,000 in discretionary funding for HIV/AIDS. 
Today, Health and Human services receives close to $5 billion for HIV/
AIDS programs, and the overall federal government spends close to $12 
billion on programs for HIV/AIDS research, education, and prevention. 
This funding allows agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) to support programs for state and local prevention 
activities. Programs

[[Page E1006]]


  In 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive Resources 
Emergency (CARE) Act. I am proud to say that here in this sometimes 
divisive body, we were able to come together and vote unanimously for 
the reauthorization of the Act in 2000, thereby assisting metropolitan 
areas and states with their health care costs and support services for 
individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS. This legislation is 
vital to helping those who are most affected by this disease and who 
often do not have the means to combat this disease. Shortly after we 
passed the Ryan White CARE Act, I received a letter from a former 
student of mine who has been living with AIDS. In her touching letter, 
my former student applauded our efforts here in Congress, ``I am very 
pleased that we have seen an increase in funding for the Ryan White 
CARE Act to help those living with this horrible disease and all of 
their families too. Now, hopefully with all the funds we can care for a 
lot of people and try to keep them as well as possible...''
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot jeopardize the well being of those living with 
HIV/AIDS and must ensure that funding for HIV/AIDS is retained. I 
commend the gentlewoman from California, Mrs. Pelosi, and the gentleman 
from Illinois, Mr. Shimkus, whom I have joined in sending a letter to 
encourage President Bush to increase funding for the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID) and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS 
(HOPWA) programs. The letter also encourages President Bush to support 
funding for disease prevention, the Ryan White CARE Act to improve 
health care for people with AIDS, and the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. 
With rates of infection on the up swing and so concentrated, we cannot 
let these programs lag; the risk is too high.
  It is paramount that we persevere in our efforts against HIV/AIDS. As 
we begin our third decade battling this disease, I maintain that we 
focus our energies on those who are most vulnerable to infections: 
women, minorities, and children. We must also redouble our efforts to 
educate our citizens, especially our youth, on how to protect 
themselves from HIV infection. In addition, we must not ignore our 
humanitarian duty to those suffering around the world. The strides we 
have made in the past two decades are numerous; and we should celebrate 
our victories. However, we cannot overlook the individuals who are 
unable to fight this disease alone. I ask my colleagues, on this the 
20th anniversary of the AIDS/HIV, to remember the past and stand in 
solidarity to renew our nation's commitment to this global crisis.

                          ____________________