In Support of World AIDS Day 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge
World AIDS Day, 2014.

Today, more than 35 million people worldwide are living with HIV/
AIDS. Of the 35 million, 1.2 million are in the United States and
almost 1 in 7 Americans--that's 14 percent--are unaware of their
infection.

It grieves me to know that Brooklyn has earned the dubious
distinction as an HIV/AIDS epicenter for African-Americans in NYC.
Nearly 29,000 Brooklyn residents were living with HIV/AIDS as of June
30, 2013. Over 30 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the first half of
2013 were made concurrent with AIDS diagnoses and years after
infection, when HIV was already causing illness. And surveys suggest
that 40 percent of Brooklyn adults have yet to receive an HIV test.

Though there have been many successes in the treatment of the
disease, given the grim statistics that I just noted, we cannot rest on
our successes. It is imperative that we continue to push forth
policies, initiatives, and legislation that support HIV/AIDS research
and programs, both domestically and globally. We also must continue to significantly fund HIV/AIDS research and programs.

One such program that benefits from HIV/AIDS funding is SUNY
Downstate's HIV Center for Women and Children, which is located in my
district--the 9th Congressional District of New York. The center
provides: HIV/AIDS clinical support, mental health assistance,
psychosocial support, educational outreach, research--and the all
important testing program--and in doing so helps stop the transmission
of HIV/AIDS in my district.

We must continue to fight on behalf of those who need to access life
saving research and programs. The manner in which we as a nation
address HIV/AIDS will determine the fate of the next generation of
Americans. Let's continue to take a stand against the spread of HIV/
AIDS.

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