[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3365-H3366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONCERNS ABOUT LEVEL OF FUNDING OF AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my grave concerns 
about the level of funding for ADAP, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, 
which is inadequate to support the more than 136,000 Americans 
currently

[[Page H3366]]

dependent on ADAP for their life-saving HIV/AIDS medication, plus the 
10,000 more who are likely to be added next year.
  The 6-year historical ADAP underfunding is evident in the growing 
waiting lists, unacceptable eligibility rules and insufficient 
medication.
  Current initiatives emphasis testing, which, I agree, is critical to 
addressing this epidemic. However, as a doctor, I am troubled by the 
ethics of testing Americans for HIV when we are not guaranteeing them 
access to treatment.
  I am also disturbed that this underfunding will primarily impact low-
income, uninsured Americans who are disproportionately from communities 
of color. And as a Member of Congress, I am ashamed that we are not 
doing all that we could and should to take care of the needs of all 
Americans with HIV disease.
  I call on my colleagues to support full funding for Ryan White, 
including the $986.5 million level as identified by the National ADAP 
Working Group. Only by fully funding ADAP will we step up to our public 
health responsibility to treat all HIV positive Americans.

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