[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 109 (Thursday, July 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   WELCOMING THE XIX INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE TO WASHINGTON, DC

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 19, 2012

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the XIX 
International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2012, back to Washington, DC. On 
July 22, 2012, more than 30,000 people from approximately 200 countries 
are expected to converge on Washington, DC, for AIDS 2012, including 
20,000 delegates, 10,000 additional participants in the Global Village, 
and up to 2,000 journalists. Over the course of the Conference, which 
runs through July 27, 2012, the world's leading scientists, public 
health experts, policymakers, community leaders, and persons living 
with HIV/AIDS will chart the way forward in the global response to HIV/
AIDS by turning the latest scientific advancements into action.
  The III International AIDS Conference was held in our Nation's 
capital in 1987, the same year that the United States established a 
policy barring HIV-positive foreigners from obtaining permanent 
immigration status or entering the United States without special 
waivers. As a result, no major scientific conferences on HIV/AIDS have 
been held in this country since--until now. Thanks to years of advocacy 
by countless individuals and the leadership of former President George 
W. Bush and President Barack Obama, the misguided travel and 
immigration ban against people with HIV was lifted in 2010. This was a 
critical step forward in addressing societal stigma and discriminatory 
practices against people living with HIV/AIDS.
  The return of the International AIDS Conference to the United States 
could not come at a more critical time. Here at home, more than one 
million people are living with HIV and approximately 50,000 individuals 
become newly infected with the virus each year. And among individuals 
living with HIV, one in five is unaware of his or her infection. This 
not only increases one's risk for developing worse health outcomes and 
unknowingly transmitting the virus to others, but undermines HIV 
prevention efforts as a whole. Furthermore, significant disparities 
persist across diverse communities and populations with regard to 
incidence, access to treatment, and health outcomes, particularly for 
men who have sex with men, MSM, African Americans and other minorities, 
women, and young people.
  However, more than 30 years after the beginning of the epidemic, we 
are now at a point where we have the tools necessary to prevent the 
spread of HIV and bring an end to the crisis. The theme of AIDS 2012, 
``Turning the Tide Together,'' represents the challenge before us. In 
order to change the course of HIV/AIDS in the United States and abroad, 
we must harness the potential of the most recent scientific advances in 
HIV/AIDS treatment and biomedical prevention, continue research for a 
HIV vaccine and cure, and scale up effective, evidence-based 
interventions in key settings. As the world's leader in HIV research 
and the largest funder of international AIDS programs, including the 
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, and the Global Fund 
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, TB, and Malaria, continued commitment by 
the United States to HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment 
programs is crucial to improving global health.
  Mr. Speaker, AIDS 2012 is a tremendous opportunity to further 
strengthen the role of the United States in global HIV/AIDS initiatives 
within the current context of significant global economic challenges. 
Therefore, I urge my colleagues to join me in welcoming the delegates 
and participants of AIDS 2012 to Washington, DC, as well as commit to 
helping support a stronger international response to HIV/AIDS, 
advancing the health and rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, and 
working to create an ``AIDS-free generation.''

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