[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 172 (Thursday, December 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBRANCE AND HOPE ON WORLD AIDS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 1, 2016

  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, today, December 1, 2016, marks the 28th World 
AIDS Day--a day to come together in support of people around the world 
who live with HIV/AIDS, to remember those we've lost, and to commit 
ourselves to eradicating this vile disease once and for all.
   For me, this day conjures back a memory I have of visiting the Names 
Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall on a sweltering day in 
Washington a few summers ago. Although I was sweating through my suit, 
it was impossible not to stand there without being profoundly moved. I 
was moved when I thought about the fathers, mothers, cousins, sisters, 
brothers, friends, and other loved ones whose lives were cut short by 
this wretched disease--many of whom had their stories memorialized on a 
panel of the AIDS quilt for the world to see. Stories like that of Ryan 
White, an Indiana teenager who was diagnosed with HIV in 1984 after 
receiving a contaminated blood treatment for Hemophilia. Just 13 years 
old, Ryan was barred from returning to school, cast asunder by a 
society that did not yet comprehend that the disease transmits 
independently of lifestyle. But he spent the rest of his young life 
advocating for understanding and against an unjust stigma, finally 
perishing far too young at 18. Countless stories like Ryan's are a 
reminder that we must never forget how far we've come, and how far we 
have left to go.
   That said, we've made tremendous progress since the first World AIDS 
Day in 1988. So many people today are alive because of the investment, 
hard work, activism and commitment of those who fought for this 
progress, like Ryan--for housing, for prevention, for a fair shake for 
those who today live with this wretched disease.
   In Congress, I have worked with my colleagues on the Congressional 
HIV/AIDS caucus to support policies that promote research, prevention, 
and, most importantly, a cure. Through my work with these magnificent 
colleagues--many of whom have been fighting this battle since long 
before I dreamed of running for Congress--I have resolved that we must 
fully fund programs that fight AIDS at home and abroad. Programs like 
the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global 
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria--both of which provide 
antiretroviral HIV treatments and screenings to millions of children 
and adults around the world. And the Housing Opportunities for Persons 
with AIDS--a program that allows Americans with AIDS to access 
subsidized, low-income housing.
   Today, our government has made stopping the proliferation of HIV/
AIDS a priority, and the impact is real. Last year, the U.S. government 
spent $26.42 billion on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and 
accommodations domestically, and $6.57 billion for international 
programs. Between 2005 and 2014, the annual total of new cases has 
fallen 19 percent largely due to increased screenings and prevention 
measures. Even still, the lifetime cost of treating an HIV infection is 
$379,000--a staggering amount considering that 30 percent of those 
living with the disease lack health insurance.
   I am especially pleased by news that the National Institutes of 
Health started a grant program in July of this year to fund research 
into a cure--$30 million per year over the next five years. amFAR, a 
non-profit research organization, has committed to investing $100 
million to form the scientific basis for a cure by 2020.
   The scientists tell us the moment is now. A cure is possible if we 
commit ourselves to it. As long as I am in Congress, I will fight to 
make the necessary resources available to eradicate HIV/AIDS and 
realize our shared dream of an AIDS-free generation.

                          ____________________