[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                HIV/AIDS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, in 2004, my state of Illinois, had the 4th 
highest numbers of African Americans living with AIDS--nearly 8,000--of 
the more than 35,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite the 
improvements in the health outcomes of AIDS patients in the general 
population, in communities of color AIDS is the leading cause of death 
of African American women between the ages of 25 and 34 and the third 
leading cause of death among Hispanics between the ages of 35 and 44.
  Mr. Speaker, last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on 
which I serve, reported H.R. 6143, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment 
Act by a vote of 38 to 10. While the bill is flawed in several 
respects--particularly in the level of funding that it authorizes to 
provide essential treatment and services to victims of HIV/AIDS--the 
legislation did, for the first time, codify the Minority Aids 
Initiative (MAI) as a separate title of the Ryan White CARE Act 
reauthorization.
  This means that for the first time in its history, the Minority AIDS 
Initiative will become permanent law when H.R. 6143 is enacted.
  The Minority AIDS Initiative is specifically designed to bridge the 
gap in HIV service delivery by providing culturally competent and 
linguistically appropriate HIV care and support services provided for 
under the MAI.
  Since communities of color still account for a disproportionate 
number of HIV/AIDS cases, I am pleased that the Committee's bill took 
the first step in directing resources to address the problem of HIV/
AIDS in the African American community. It is my sincere hope that 
future Congresses will be able to more adequately address this 
epidemic.

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