[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16357]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDING CRISIS

  (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's AIDS Drug 
Assistance Programs, ADAPs, are experiencing a funding crisis. 
Thousands of our most vulnerable citizens are counting on Congress to 
ensure that they have access to the medications they need to stay 
alive. To make matters worse, the Census Bureau reports that the number 
of uninsured Americans rose sharply last year to an all-time high of 
50.7 million due to the difficult economy.
  It is projected that tens of thousands more individuals will soon 
require the vital services that State ADAPs provide to low income, 
uninsured and underinsured individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The issue 
hits close to home. Currently, of the 3,214 individuals on ADAP waiting 
lists, Florida has 1,712 of them. This is outrageous.
  Congress must increase its commitment to State ADAPs while continuing 
to fund other AIDS programs. This problem is not going away. We need a 
long-term solution until the Affordable Care Act takes full effect in 
2014. I urge this body to bring an emergency supplemental of $25 
million to the floor for a vote.

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