    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [December 3, 1996]
    [Pages 2164-2165]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to a Briefing on AIDS Research and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    December 3, 1996

        The President. As all of you know, this is World AIDS Awareness
    Week, and you also know I'm a little hoarse. I'm very excited about the
    progress we've made in the last 4 years. I'm determined to keep pressing
    until we have a vaccine and ultimately a cure. And I'd like to ask the
    Vice President to sort of take over for me with the opening remarks, and
    then we'll hear from Secretary Shalala. We have some of our Nation's top
    health officials--our top public health officials here. I thank them for
    coming, for their work, and I'd like to ask the Vice President to speak.
        The Vice President. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
        As you can tell, the President needs to conserve his vocal cords a
    little bit. He's had quite a lot to say about this topic of AIDS over
    the last 4 years, especially internally with this tremendous team that
    Secretary Shalala has pulled together and led on the President's behalf.
    And this is one of several briefings that the President has had
    periodically on the progress our country is making against HIV/AIDS.
        And the experts here will provide some statistics to back these
    assertions up. But let me just briefly, on behalf of the President, note
    that this administration has presided over a 40 percent increase in NIH-
    supported AIDS research, a 158 percent increase in Ryan White AIDS
    treatment grants, a 24 percent increase in CDC HIV-prevention
    activities, a 96 percent increase for HUD's housing opportunities for
    people with AIDS program. He has greatly strengthened the Office of AIDS
    Research at NIH. And as a result of Public Health Service guidelines
    recommending the use of AZT by HIV-positive pregnant women and their
    newborns, there has been a very encouraging 17 percent drop in the
    number of infants with perinatally acquired HIV infections--those are
    the last statistics available from '94 to '95; also responding rapidly
    to FDA approval of a new class of AIDS therapies called protease
    inhibitors, with increases in funding for State AIDS drug assistance
    programs. We have eased Social Security disability rules to speed
    approval of eligibility. And of course, the President created the Office
    of National AIDS Policy at the White House and the Presidential Advisory
    Council on HIV/AIDS.
        Last year, at the White House Conference on HIV and AIDS, the
    President asked me to preside over an effort to look for ways to
    overcome obstacles in developing new therapeutics, vaccines, and
    microbicides to combat HIV and AIDS. And we have achieved a great deal
    since last year. Working with this team here today,

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    we convened meetings that led to the establishment of the Forum for
    Collaborative HIV Research. And I'm proud that the participants in this
    forum, AIDS clinicians, researchers, drug companies, insurance
    companies, and patient advocacy groups, have all expressed their belief
    that this has become an unprecedented and productive forum for
    discussing the future of HIV research.
        These new scientific advancements in HIV and AIDS treatment light
    optimism and hope in the AIDS community for people with AIDS and their
    families. So this is a very positive report this year. And many are now
    feeling that there is cause for more optimism in the near future.
        Through collaborative efforts like this new forum, and the
    cooperative efforts of the Government and private sector researchers,
    we'll continue the fight for better and more affordable prevention
    strategies, vaccines, and microbicides. We will not forget the children.
    The President is personally committed to focusing this research effort
    on the crying need to develop pediatric applications of these prevention
    and treatment strategies and products. And we've all talked a great deal
    about how to do that.
        Working with our team assembled here and with our partners in
    research, we will continue to knock down every barrier to the
    development of successful therapeutics, vaccines, and microbicides until
    we knock down the last barrier of all, the HIV virus itself.
        Now, on behalf of the President, I want to turn this over to
    Secretary Donna Shalala to expand on the administration's efforts to
    defeat this terrible disease.

    [At this point, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala began
    the AIDS briefing. While she retrieved a chart for the briefing, the
    following exchange took place.]

    Political Strategist James Carville

        Q. Mr. President, can you tell us how you feel about James
    Carville's effort to mount an offensive on your behalf?
        The President. I can't comment.
        Q. You're not going to talk to him about it?
        Q. How's the Cabinet going?
        Q. Any decisions, sir?

    President's Health

        Q. When can we expect an announcement? Are you glad you've lost your
    voice? [Laughter]
        The President. It's a hoax. [Laughter]
        Q. We suspected as much, sir. [Laughter]

    Note: The President spoke at 11:45 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because the tape
    was incomplete.