[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2166-E2167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SUPPORT OF OUTRAGE OVER HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 29, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support of the 
September 12, 2008 article, ``Outraged by AIDS Epidemic'' by Virginia 
Fields, president and CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission 
on AIDS. In this article Ms. Fields rightly expresses her frustration 
over the increased number of HIV/AIDS infections in African-American 
communities. The infection rate for African-Americans is seven times 
higher than Whites and is disproportionately higher than any other 
racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
  With new information from the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention report that was released at the International AIDS 
Conference in Mexico City, I ask my colleagues to stand with me to take 
a stronger stand against this epidemic in our own country. It is 
inexcusable that with the funding and resources that we have that the 
HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. have risen over the past three decades. 
Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, the 
U.S. has spent 19 billion dollars on the initiative to fight HIV/AIDS 
abroad. In addition to PEPFAR we need to establish a plan that would 
include adequate funding and resources to assist with prevention, 
education, and treatment to help combat this epidemic here at home.
  Madam Speaker, it is time for us to openly address this issue that is 
affecting so many individuals and their families across our great 
country.

                       Outraged by AIDS Epidemic

                        (By C. Virginia Fields)

       I was not shocked by facts I learned at the recent 
     International AIDS Conference, but I was outraged--outraged 
     that, three decades into this epidemic, we are still seeing 
     the kind of numbers we're seeing in terms of AIDS' impact on 
     the black community.
       At the Conference, which was held Aug. 3-8 in Mexico City, 
     delegates learned that the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention is now estimating the number of AIDS cases to be 
     much higher than originally thought. Using more precise 
     methodology, the agency now says there were 56,300 new HIV 
     infections in the United States in 2006 rather than the 
     40,000 previously estimated.
       With many problems, the black community is hit harder than 
     the population as a whole, and AIDS is no different--in fact, 
     this trend is greatly accentuated with AIDS. The CDC found 
     that the infection rate for African-Americans was seven times 
     higher than whites. Almost 25,000 new cases of HIV were 
     measured for blacks in the reporting period. The new numbers 
     ``confirm that blacks are more heavily and disproportionately 
     affected by HIV than any other racial/ethnic group in the 
     U.S.,'' the CDC reported.
       AIDS is the leading cause of death for black women between 
     the ages of 25 and 34.
       New York is a leader in the country in many areas and this 
     is one of the unfortunate ones. The cumulative number of AIDS 
     cases in this state was more than 177,000 through 2006, 
     according to CDC statistics. That was more than 30,000 above 
     California, which was in second place.
       Now one would think that, given these numbers, the federal 
     government would be doing all that it possibly can to fight 
     this disease, and to target the funds where they are most 
     needed. I wish that were true. In fact, when it comes to 
     dealing with AIDS, the government seems to think it's more of 
     a crisis overseas than at home.
       The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 
     funnels resources to 15 countries with high rates of AIDS. 
     While that is needed, what about our own citizens? There is 
     no program to target resources with PEPFAR-like intensity at 
     home. This is despite the fact that, according to a recent 
     report by the Black AIDS Institute, black Americans, if they 
     were a separate country, would have higher rates of HIV/AIDS 
     than many of the third world countries the government targets 
     for help.
       One of the priorities of the National Black Leadership 
     Commission on AIDS is bringing about a national AIDS 
     strategy. This

[[Page E2167]]

     emerged from a conclave NBLCA facilitated last October that 
     was co-chaired by Rev. Calvin Butts, pastor of the Abyssinian 
     Baptist Church in New York, and Bishop T.D. Jakes, pastor of 
     the Potter's House in Dallas.
       The strategy would set goals and timetables and identify 
     needed resources. It would make sure the 10 agencies that 
     administer AIDS programs coordinate and communicate with one 
     another. In short, it would be a road map about how we 
     respond to the AIDS epidemic in the United States.
       The United States requires countries that receive help 
     under PEPFAR to have such a strategy yet the United States 
     itself does not have one. More than ironic, that's tragic.
       The impact AIDS is having on our citizens, especially those 
     in the black community, is alarming--and it's getting worse. 
     If we don't mobilize now and make sure that we're attacking 
     this disease with as much energy, resources and intelligence 
     as we can muster, we will someday wonder how we let such a 
     disaster happen.
       Despite all the bad news, there can be hope. I came away 
     from the International AIDS Conference encouraged that we are 
     determined as never before to fight the disease. I came away 
     from the conference--and I think many of my fellow delegates 
     from all over the world did, too--much more committed to this 
     cause.

                          ____________________