[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 154 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 21, 2009

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1793 the Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. This important 
bipartisan bill reauthorizes a program that has provided some of the 
most critical services to our country's most vulnerable populations for 
nearly two decades.
  As you know, according to the CDC, approximately 1.1 million 
Americans are currently living with HIV/AIDS. While we have made 
tremendous strides in the treatment of HIV, prolonging and improving 
the lives of those with the disease, the need for funding to provide 
treatment to all those living with HIV/AIDS has, accordingly, greatly 
increased.
  Furthermore, this epidemic has had an alarmingly disproportionate 
impact on communities of color. African Americans account for roughly 
50% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses and Hispanics/Latinos 18 percent. We must 
properly address this troubling disparity and continue to work for 
improved access and treatment for racial and ethnic minorities living 
with HIV/AIDS.
  The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program offers a comprehensive, cost-
effective solution to these challenges. Ryan White has been a 
monumental success and has most certainly contributed to the decline in 
the number of AIDS cases and deaths due to HIV/AIDS. S. 1793 is an 
important piece of legislation and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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