[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 155 (Saturday, September 27, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H10228-H10229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1715
 RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MINORITY 
                            AIDS INITIATIVE

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further consideration of the 
concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 426, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 426

       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative was established on 
     October 28, 1998, under the leadership of the Congressional 
     Black Caucus, during the Chairmanship of Congresswoman Maxine 
     Waters, to target funds for the awareness, prevention, 
     testing, and treatment of HIV/AIDS toward racial and ethnic 
     minority communities and toward community-based organizations 
     and health care providers serving these communities;
       Whereas HIV/AIDS is a devastating epidemic that continues 
     to spread in communities throughout the United States;
       Whereas there are more than 1,000,000 people living with 
     HIV/AIDS in the United States today;
       Whereas there are more than 14,000 AIDS-related deaths 
     every year in the United States;
       Whereas approximately 1 in 4 of the people living with HIV/
     AIDS in the United States do not know they are infected;
       Whereas all racial and ethnic minorities are 
     disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS;
       Whereas African-Americans account for about half of new 
     AIDS cases, although approximately 13 percent of the 
     population as a whole is Black, and the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that African-Americans 
     accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections in 2006;
       Whereas Hispanic-Americans account for 19 percent of new 
     AIDS cases, although only 15 percent of the population as a 
     whole is Hispanic, and the CDC estimates that Hispanic-
     Americans accounted for 17 percent of new HIV infections in 
     2006;
       Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders account for 1 
     percent of new AIDS cases, and Native Americans and Alaskan 
     Natives account for up to 1 percent of new AIDS cases;
       Whereas approximately 70 percent of new AIDS cases are 
     racial and ethnic minorities;
       Whereas the CDC recently released new estimates of HIV 
     infection, which indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV 
     infections occurred in the United States in 2006;
       Whereas these new estimates are approximately 40 percent 
     higher than the CDC's previous estimates of 40,000 new 
     infections per year;
       Whereas the CDC's data confirms that the most severe impact 
     continues to be among gay and bisexual men of all races, and 
     Black men and women;
       Whereas the purpose of the Minority AIDS Initiative is to 
     enable community based organizations and health care 
     providers in minority communities to improve their capacity 
     to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS 
     care and services;
       Whereas the establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative 
     was announced on October 28, 1998, during a ``roll-out'' 
     event sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, which 
     featured the participation of President Bill Clinton, 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, 
     Congresswoman Maxine Waters, members of the Congressional 
     Black Caucus, and representatives of HIV/AIDS service and 
     advocacy organizations;
       Whereas it was announced at this ``roll-out'' that the 
     Minority AIDS Initiative would receive an initial 
     appropriation of $156,000,000 in fiscal year 1999;
       Whereas concerned Members of Congress, including members of 
     the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic 
     Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and 
     the Congressional Hispanic Conference, continue to support 
     the Minority AIDS Initiative;
       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative continues to provide 
     funding to community-based organizations, research 
     institutions, minority-serving colleges and universities, 
     health care organizations, State and local health 
     departments, correctional institutions, and other providers 
     of health information and services to help such entities 
     address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the minority populations 
     they serve;
       Whereas Congress codified the Minority AIDS Initiative 
     within the most recent reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE 
     Act;
       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative fills gaps in HIV/AIDS 
     outreach, awareness, prevention, treatment, surveillance, and 
     infrastructure across communities of color; and
       Whereas, October 28, 2008, is the 10th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative;
       (2) commends the efforts of community-based organizations 
     and health care providers in minority communities to deliver 
     culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS care and 
     services within the minority populations they serve;
       (3) encourages racial and ethnic minorities to educate 
     themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and 
     reduce HIV related stigma; and
       (4) supports the continued funding of the Minority AIDS 
     Initiative and other Federal programs to stop the spread of 
     HIV/AIDS and provide effective, compassionate treatment and 
     care to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

                    Amendment Offered by Mr. Pallone

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Pallone:
       Amend page 4, line 3, through page 5, line 9, to read as 
     follows:
       (1) recognizes and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative;
       (2) commends the efforts of community-based organizations 
     and health care providers in minority communities to deliver 
     culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS care and 
     services within the minority populations they serve;
       (3) encourages racial and ethnic minorities and all 
     Americans to educate themselves about the prevention and 
     treatment of HIV/AIDS and reduce HIV related stigma;
       (4) encourages the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention to appropriately address populations significantly 
     impacted by HIV/

[[Page H10229]]

     AIDS not only through the Minority AIDS Initiative, but 
     through all available programs; and
       (5) supports the continuing efforts of the Minority AIDS 
     Initiative to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and urges 
     effective, compassionate treatment and care to individuals 
     affected by HIV/AIDS.

  The amendment was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, as amended, was agreed to.


            Amendment to the Preamble Offered by Mr. Pallone

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the preamble at the 
desk.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment to the preamble offered by Mr. Pallone:
       Amend the preamble to read as follows:
       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative was established on 
     October 28, 1998, under the leadership of the Congressional 
     Black Caucus, to target funds for the awareness, prevention, 
     testing, and treatment of HIV/AIDS toward racial and ethnic 
     minority communities and toward community-based organizations 
     and health care providers serving these communities;
       Whereas HIV/AIDS is a devastating epidemic that continues 
     to spread in communities throughout the United States;
       Whereas there are more than 1,000,000 people living with 
     HIV/AIDS in the United States today;
       Whereas there are more than 14,000 AIDS-related deaths 
     every year in the United States;
       Whereas approximately 1 in 4 of the people living with HIV/
     AIDS in the United States do not know they are infected;
       Whereas racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately 
     impacted by HIV/AIDS;
       Whereas African-Americans account for about half of new 
     AIDS cases, although approximately 13 percent of the 
     population as a whole is Black, and the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that African-Americans 
     accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infections in 2006;
       Whereas Hispanic-Americans account for 19 percent of new 
     AIDS cases, although only 15 percent of the population as a 
     whole is Hispanic, and the CDC estimates that Hispanic-
     Americans accounted for 17 percent of new HIV infections in 
     2006;
       Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders account for 1 
     percent of new AIDS cases, and Native Americans and Alaskan 
     Natives account for up to 1 percent of new AIDS cases;
       Whereas approximately 70 percent of new AIDS cases are 
     racial and ethnic minorities;
       Whereas the CDC recently released new estimates of HIV 
     infection, which indicate that approximately 56,300 new HIV 
     infections occurred in the United States in 2006;
       Whereas these new estimates are approximately 40 percent 
     higher than the CDC's previous estimates of 40,000 new 
     infections per year;
       Whereas the CDC's data confirms that the most severe impact 
     continues to be among gay and bisexual men of all races, and 
     Black men and women;
       Whereas the purpose of the Minority AIDS Initiative is to 
     enable community based organizations and health care 
     providers in minority communities to improve their capacity 
     to deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS 
     care and services;
       Whereas concerned Members of Congress, including members of 
     the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic 
     Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and 
     the Congressional Hispanic Conference, continue to support 
     the Minority AIDS Initiative;
       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative continues to provide 
     funding to community-based organizations, research 
     institutions, minority-serving colleges and universities, 
     health care organizations, State and local health 
     departments, correctional institutions, and other providers 
     of health information and services to help such entities 
     address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the minority populations 
     they serve;
       Whereas Congress codified the Minority AIDS Initiative 
     within the most recent reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE 
     Act;
       Whereas the Minority AIDS Initiative fills gaps in HIV/AIDS 
     outreach, awareness, prevention, treatment, surveillance, and 
     infrastructure across communities of color; and
       Whereas, October 28, 2008, is the 10th anniversary of the 
     establishment of the Minority AIDS Initiative: Now, 
     therefore, be it

  Mr. PALLONE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________