[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 23401]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              {time}  1815

   CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS INITIATIVES DOMESTICALLY AND GLOBALLY 
                           REGARDING HIV/AIDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fletcher). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) is recognized for 5 
minutes.

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak about the 
initiatives of the Congressional Black Caucus in the fight against the 
HIV and AIDS epidemic.

  I first want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) 
and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for 
their leadership in this effort. This epidemic is killing our community 
in unprecedented, terrifying numbers. Within our own country among 
African Americans and among Africans on the continent of Africa, the 
disproportionate infection rates of people of African descent are 
staggering.

  In my district, which includes Oakland, California, the AIDS case 
rate for African Americans is five times that of whites. While the 
county has experienced a decline in the number of AIDS cases since 
1994, African-American diagnoses have risen by 20 percent.

  I wish that I could say that these frightening and disproportionate 
statistics are rare in our Nation, but unfortunately they are 
pervasive. We know that across our country, African Americans have the 
highest death rate from AIDS and chronic illnesses, higher than all 
other minority communities combined. African Americans who account for 
13 percent of our Nation's population account for 56 percent of all 
newly reported HIV cases and 68 percent of new cases among adolescents.

  What we have seen over the past several years has been the emergence 
of a crisis, and the failure on the part of our government to target 
resources where the disease is the greatest void has really compromised 
our ability to work effectively to decrease the number of HIV 
infections, to create strong prevention programs and to provide 
adequate services and care. We are now thankful, though, that the 
current funding is significantly higher. However, it remains grossly 
inadequate.

  Last year, under the bold leadership of the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters), the Congressional Black Caucus mobilized to 
call upon Secretary Donna Shalala to declare a state of emergency for 
HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. It is with determination 
that we as a caucus have taken the lead on this issue. And with pride I 
can also say that on a local level in my area, Alameda County has 
declared a public health emergency on HIV and AIDS in the African-
American community, the first jurisdiction in the Nation to do so.

  This week, the Congressional Black Caucus has taken the next step to 
put forth a $340 million emergency public health initiative on HIV and 
AIDS which will be distributed proportionately among African Americans 
and other communities of color. The plan is the next, necessary step to 
allow the continuation of initiatives within HHS and NIH and CDC that 
were created from fiscal year 1999 funding and to address new emergency 
needs. The Black Caucus has also been focused to bring to bear the 
resources so that African Americans also experience a decline in, and 
eventual end to, the HIV infection.

  Furthermore, let me just mention how it is disproportionately 
devastating countries in the developing world, most drastically on the 
continent of Africa. UNAIDS reports that of the 33.4 million people 
living with HIV/AIDS in the world, 22.5 million, or 67 percent, are in 
sub-Saharan Africa; 7.8 million are children who have been orphaned 
with their parents who have died of AIDS. It is anticipated that this 
number will reach 40 million orphans by the year 2010. That is why I, 
along with 47 cosponsors, have introduced H.R. 2765, a bill to provide 
assistance for HIV/AIDS research, education, treatment and prevention 
in Africa.

  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to recognize the demoralizing 
reality of HIV and AIDS, both in this country and throughout the world. 
We must not falsely and dangerously assume that because new 
combinations of therapies have improved the quality of life and 
extended the survival of some with HIV that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is 
now under control. The battle is far from over. I urge support for the 
Congressional Black Caucus' emergency public health initiative to 
combat this epidemic domestically and I urge support for the AIDS 
Marshall Plan to combat in a substantial way the AIDS epidemic 
globally.

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