[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 21 (Monday, May 27, 1996)]
[Pages 898-899]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the Ryan White CARE Act Amendments of 1996

May 20, 1996

    Good morning. Senator Kassebaum, Senator Hatch, Senator Frist, 
Congressmen Waxman and Pelosi and Gunderson--Congresswoman Pelosi. 
[Laughter] And of course, the people who came in with me, our AIDS 
policy director, Patsy Fleming, and Jeanne White, who deserves a lot of 
credit for this day. I am pleased to be here to sign legislation to 
continue the Ryan White CARE Act for the next 5 years.
    I also want to thank Secretary Shalala, who is in Geneva, and 
Senator Kennedy, who couldn't be with us today but who has been a real 
leader on this issue. I want to thank all of you representing dozens of 
organizations in this room who are on the front lines of this struggle, 
and also those whom you represent all across America who could not be 
here in the room today, but who have done their part as well.
    And let me once again say a special thanks to Jeanne White for 
standing here today. Your fine son became a hero to many of us. He was a 
brave young man who taught America the truth about AIDS. He helped 
people all over the world to understand that people with AIDS deserve 
not only the best medical care, but also our compassion and our love. 
And we're eternally grateful for that.
    It's hard to believe, but AIDS has now been with us for nearly two 
decades. In that time, more than half a million Americans have been 
diagnosed; more than 300,000 of our fellow citizens have died. AIDS has 
taken too many friends and relatives and loved ones from every one of us 
in this room. It has shaken the faith of many, but it has inspired a 
remarkable community spirit, as evidenced by your presence here today.
    We are not powerless in the face of this challenge; look how far 
we've come. At one time AIDS was thought of as inevitably the end of 
life, the death of hope. But today, through the twin miracles of science 
and spirit, we're making great progress. People are living longer; 
infection rates are going down among a number of previously high-risk 
groups; there is hope for a cure.
    We know that AIDS affects all Americans. Every person with HIV or 
AIDS is someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, parent or 
grandparent. We cannot allow discrimination of any kind to blind us to 
what we must do.
    The Ryan White CARE Act has been a big part of America's progress. 
Since it became law in 1990, this bill has helped hundreds of thousands 
of people to get the care they need in clinics and doctors' offices. 
It's kept people out of hospitals so they could be cared for at home, 
surrounded by families and loved ones. It's paid for the growing 
assortment of promising drugs that are helping so many people with AIDS 
to live longer and healthier lives. I'm proud that the FDA has speeded 
up approval of these new drugs.
    I'm also very pleased that funding for this program has more than 
doubled in the last 3\1/2\ years. And that's very important, because as 
all of you in this room know, it fills the gaps in the Medicaid program; 
half the people who are infected get their care through the Ryan White 
CARE Act and, of course, 90 percent of the children do.
    As I sign the legislation, I also want to note that today, the 
Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $350 million in 
funds authorized under this bill in all 50 States and now in 49 U.S. 
cities, up from 23 just 3 years ago. We're also making available another 
$52 million to help more people with AIDS get the drugs they need. And 
this legislation will help States to capitalize on a

[[Page 899]]

recent medical breakthrough: We now know that with voluntary testing and 
the use of AZT, we can prevent HIV transmission from a pregnant mother 
to her child. In the last year alone, there has been a 10 percent 
reduction in the number of infected children. It is estimated that we 
can actually end this tragic form of transmission by the end of this 
century, just 4 years away. It is our job to make that happen.
    But even as we celebrate our progress, we shouldn't forget that the 
fight is not over. We have to do more to stop the rising tide of 
infection among women, communities of color, and young people, 
especially young gay men. Until there is a cure, we cannot and must not 
rest.
    In his autobiography, Ryan White describes himself as ``just another 
kid from Kokomo.'' We know he was much more than that. He taught a 
nation to care instead of hate, to embrace people living with AIDS as a 
part of our American family, to extend always the hand of hope. There 
are others in this room who had children that are a lot like him. I 
thank all of you, and I thank all of you who have fought this battle for 
so long.
    This legislation offers hope for another 5 years. Let us all pray 
that no President will ever have to sign another bill because, by then, 
we will have found a cure for AIDS and a vaccine to protect every 
American.
    Let me again thank the Members of Congress who are here and note 
that this bill passed by a voice vote in the Senate and with only 4 
dissenting votes in the House of Representatives, I believe 414 for. So 
that's a great tribute to the Members of Congress in both parties who 
spoke out in favor of this. And I thank those who are here, and Senator 
Kennedy especially, for what they have all done.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 11:25 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. S. 641, approved May 20, was assigned Public Law No. 104-
146.