[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 113 (Thursday, July 26, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5627]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
XIX INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 532, submitted
earlier today by Senator Nelson of Florida.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 532) expressing support for the XIX
International HIV/AIDS Conference and the sense of the Senate
that continued commitment by the United States to research,
prevention, and treatment programs is crucial to protecting
global health.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
proceed to a voice vote on the adoption of the resolution.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
The resolution (S. Res. 532) was agreed to.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the
preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be made and laid upon
the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any
statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution (S. 532), with its preamble, reads as follows:
Whereas, according to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS, there are approximately 33,400,000
people living with HIV worldwide, and nearly 30,000,000
people have died of AIDS since the first cases were reported
in 1981;
Whereas, in the United States, more than 1,000,000 people
are living with HIV and approximately 50,000 people become
newly infected with the virus each year;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 1 in 5 individuals living with HIV is unaware of
the infection, underscoring the need for greater education
about HIV/AIDS and access to testing;
Whereas societal stigma remains a significant challenge to
addressing HIV/AIDS;
Whereas the United States is heavily engaged in both
international and domestic efforts to address the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, including--
(1) the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief (commonly known as ``PEPFAR'');
(2) the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria;
(3) title XXIV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300dd et seq.) (originally enacted as part of the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 (Public
Law 101-381; 104 Stat. 576));
(4) State AIDS Drug Assistance Programs;
(5) the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
(6) AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health and
other agencies;
Whereas, since 1985, the now biennial International AIDS
Conference has brought together leading scientists, public
health experts, policymakers, community leaders, and
individuals living with HIV/AIDS from around the world to
enhance the global response to HIV/AIDS, evaluate recent
scientific developments, share knowledge, and facilitate a
collective strategy to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
Whereas, in 2008, Congress passed and the President signed
into law the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States
Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-293; 122 Stat.
2918);
Whereas taxpayers in the United States have paid more than
$45,000,000,000 through PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which have enjoyed broad
bipartisan support in Congress;
Whereas, 25 years after the III International AIDS
Conference was held in Washington, D.C., the XIX
International AIDS Conference (referred to in this preamble
as ``AIDS 2012'') will take place from July 22, 2012, through
July 27, 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center,
in Washington, D.C.;
Whereas AIDS 2012, organized by the International AIDS
Society, is expected to convene more than 20,000 delegates,
including 2,000 journalists, from nearly 200 countries;
Whereas the theme of AIDS 2012, ``Turning the Tide
Together'', embodies the promise and urgency of utilizing
recent scientific advances in HIV/AIDS treatment and
biomedical prevention, continuing research for an HIV vaccine
and cure, and increasing effective, evidence-based
interventions in key settings to change the course of the
HIV/AIDS crisis;
Whereas AIDS 2012 seeks to engage governments,
nongovernmental organizations, policymakers, the scientific
community, the private sector, civil society, faith-based
organizations, the media, and people living with HIV/AIDS to
more effectively address regional, national, and local
responses to HIV/AIDS around the world and overcome barriers
that limit access to preventative care, treatment, and other
services; and
Whereas AIDS 2012 is a tremendous opportunity to strengthen
the role of the United States in global HIV/AIDS initiatives
within the context of significant global economic challenges,
reenergize the response to the domestic epidemic, and focus
particular attention on the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS
that continues in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the XIX International AIDS Conference and the
goal of renewing awareness of, and commitment to, addressing
the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States and abroad;
(2) recognizes that continued HIV/AIDS research,
prevention, and treatment programs are crucial to improving
global health;
(3) understands that the key to overcoming HIV/AIDS
includes efforts to formulate sound public health policy,
protect human rights, address the needs of women and girls,
direct effective programming toward the populations at the
highest risk of infection, ensure accountability, and combat
stigma, poverty, and other social challenges related to HIV/
AIDS;
(4) seeks to work with all stakeholders--
(A) to prevent the transmission of HIV;
(B) to increase access to testing, treatment, and care;
(C) to improve health outcomes for all people living with
HIV/AIDS; and
(D) to foster greater scientific and programmatic
collaborations around the world to translate scientific
advances and apply best practices to international efforts to
end HIV/AIDS;
(5) commits to supporting a stronger global response to
HIV/AIDS, protecting the rights of people living with HIV/
AIDS, and working to create an ``AIDS-free generation''; and
(6) encourages the ongoing development in the public and
private sectors of innovative therapies and advances in
clinical treatment for HIV/AIDS, including--
(A) new and improved biomedical and behavioral prevention
strategies;
(B) safer and more affordable, accessible, and effective
treatment regimens for infected individuals; and
(C) research for an HIV vaccine and cure.
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