HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 28, 2006)

* Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, in 2004, my state of Illinois, had the 4th highest numbers of African Americans living with AIDS--nearly 8,000--of the more than 35,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite the improvements in the health outcomes of AIDS patients in the general population, in communities of color AIDS is the leading cause of death of African American women between the ages of 25 and 34 and the third leading cause of death among Hispanics between the ages of 35 and 44.

* Mr. Speaker, last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, reported H.R. 6143, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Act by a vote of 38 to 10. While the bill is flawed in several respects--particularly in the level of funding that it authorizes to provide essential treatment and services to victims of HIV/AIDS--the legislation did, for the first time, codify the Minority Aids Initiative (MAI) as a separate title of the Ryan White CARE Act reauthorization.

* This means that for the first time in its history, the Minority AIDS Initiative will become permanent law when H.R. 6143 is enacted.

* The Minority AIDS Initiative is specifically designed to bridge the gap in HIV service delivery by providing culturally competent and linguistically appropriate HIV care and support services provided for under the MAI.

* Since communities of color still account for a disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases, I am pleased that the Committee's bill took the first step in directing resources to address the problem of HIV/AIDS in the African American community. It is my sincere hope that future Congresses will be able to more adequately address this epidemic.

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