[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10072]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST REPORTED AIDS CASE

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise to recognize a bittersweet occasion: 
the 25th anniversary of the first reported AIDS case. June 5 will 
forever be a day to reflect upon the lives that have been impacted by 
the HIV/AIDS virus and the significant progress we have made in its 
detection, control, and treatment. While much ground has been gained 
over the last quarter of a century, there remains a great deal of work 
to be done. That is why I stand today to pledge a sustained commitment 
to the global fight against HIV/AIDS--a fight that we cannot abandon 
until and effective cure is discovered.
  Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Michael Gottlieb with the UCLA Hospital 
reported an extremely rare pneumonia in five young gay men to the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. One of these men, 
named ``Chuck,'' was from Oregon. Unbeknownst to Dr. Gottlieb, this 
seemingly insignificant incident ultimately evolved into one of the 
most significant health events of the modern era. It was 3 years later 
that the cause of this mysterious outbreak of pneumonia was attributed 
to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV. Sadly, for ``Chuck'' this 
discovery was made too late; he passed away shortly after he fell ill.
  Since 1981, an estimated 25 million individuals have died from the 
AIDS virus worldwide. What is even more alarming is that 16,000 new 
cases of HIV are diagnosed every day, quickly adding to the 40 million 
people who have already contracted the virus. Statistics such as these 
are disheartening given the scientific and medical progress we have 
made since the first cases of the illness were reported.
  In the United States, an estimated 1.039 million to 1.185 million 
people were living with HIV at the end of 2003, a 20-percent increase 
over the estimated number of cases at the end of 2002. While the number 
of persons with HIV in Oregon is small relative to other States, we 
nevertheless saw an 85-percent increase in the number of HIV-reported 
cases between 2002 and 2003. Not since the height of the AIDS epidemic 
in the 1980s has there been so many Americans living with this terrible 
illness.
  Congress has a great opportunity to further the domestic fight 
against HIV/AIDS this year. Reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act 
currently is underway, and I am confident that the House and the Senate 
can pass a bill by the end of this Congress that improves the scope and 
quality of services provided to those living with HIV/AIDS. As 
deliberations continue, it is important that we focus upon improving 
the equitable distribution of resources to States, municipalities, and 
community-based organizations, and that we not arbitrarily restrict 
their ability to provide the best care possible to those who need it. 
Nonprofit groups such as Cascade AIDS in Portland, OR, rely upon Ryan 
White CARE funds to offer a wide-range of both medical and social 
support services, like emergency housing and nutritional assistance. We 
must ensure that the changes we make to the CARE Act strengthen--not 
harm--the ability of organizations like Cascade AIDS to serve those 
living with HIV/AIDS.
  As we move forward with the annual appropriations process, it is 
important that we provide a much needed increase in funding to all Ryan 
White CARE Act programs, but especially the AIDS Drug Assistance 
Program, ADAP. A key component to the defense against HIV/AIDS is 
access to cutting-edge pharmaceutical treatments. These lifesaving 
medications are often so expensive that they remain out of reach to 
low-income and uninsured individuals. ADAP bridges that gap and 
provides antiretroviral drugs and important medical care to over 
150,000 people each year. Unfortunately, ADAP's historical underfunding 
has accumulated to a point where almost $200 million is needed to meet 
outstanding need in the program. Congress must commit the necessary 
resources to meet the entire demand for ADAP's services. We cannot 
afford to lose the ground we have gained in the fight against HIV/AIDS 
by restricting access to critical pharmaceutical treatments.
  As successful as ADAP has been at keeping individuals healthy and 
productive, critical gaps in our approach to HIV treatment and 
prevention remain. For example, HIV positive individuals have access to 
treatment under Medicaid only after they have developed full-blown 
AIDS. To remedy this oversight, I introduced the Early Treatment for 
HIV Act, ETHA, S. 311, along with Senator Hillary Clinton. By providing 
access to HIV therapies and important medical care before such persons 
develop AIDS, ETHA would reduce overall Medicaid costs and, as 
important, improve the quality of life of those living with the virus. 
I ask my colleagues to consider this legislation before the end of this 
session of Congress, so we can begin saving lives and dollars by 
increasing access to more effective and efficient HIV/AIDS medical 
care.
  We have much to be proud of on the 25th anniversary of the first 
reported AIDS case. The virus responsible for the epidemic has been 
identified; appropriate treatments have been developed as a result of 
innovate medical research; and governments and other organizations 
across the globe have committed significant resources to the continued 
fight against the disease. I am confident that in the near future we 
will be able to commemorate this day by celebrating the eradication of 
the pain and suffering that has been caused by HIV/AIDS since its 
discovery.

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