[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    CONCERNS ABOUT LEVEL OF FUNDING OF AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my grave concerns 
about the level of funding for ADAP, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, 
which is inadequate to support the more than 136,000 Americans 
currently dependent on ADAP for their life-saving HIV/AIDS medication, 
plus the 10,000 more who are likely to be added next year.
  The 6-year historical ADAP underfunding is evident in the growing 
waiting lists, unacceptable eligibility rules and insufficient 
medication.
  Current initiatives emphasis testing, which, I agree, is critical to 
addressing this epidemic. However, as a doctor, I am troubled by the 
ethics of testing Americans for HIV when we are not guaranteeing them 
access to treatment.
  I am also disturbed that this underfunding will primarily impact low-
income, uninsured Americans who are disproportionately from communities 
of color. And as a Member of Congress, I am ashamed that we are not 
doing all that we could and should to take care of the needs of all 
Americans with HIV disease.
  I call on my colleagues to support full funding for Ryan White, 
including the $986.5 million level as identified by the National ADAP 
Working Group. Only by fully funding ADAP will we step up to our public 
health responsibility to treat all HIV positive Americans.

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