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WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to stop attempts to take Federal HIV/AIDS funds away from areas with a high concentration of people living with the disease, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have joined together and offered emergency legislation in both chambers to temporarily reauthorize the Ryan White Act and increase the funding level so negotiations can continue.
Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a revised version of the Ryan White Act with a new formula that would steer resources away from states like New Jersey and New York that have very high numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS, while giving more funds to states with relatively low numbers of HIV/AIDS cases.
Since its enactment, the Ryan White Act funds have helped millions of HIV/AIDS patients receive the care and treatment services they need to live healthy and productive lives. Unfortunately, under the bill sent to the full Senate for a vote, many places that have a high number of HIV/AIDS cases and substantial need for funding (including NY, NJ, FL, IL and CA) would lose millions of dollars. Such an outcome would effectively dismantle entire systems of care and place patients at risk
“Changing the formula so more federal funding goes to states with relatively low numbers of people infected with HIV/AIDS, while taking it away from states with high numbers of cases will put the lives of literally thousands of people at serious risk.” said Lautenberg. “This is absolutely unconscionable.”
"New Jersey has been at the forefront of treating HIV/AIDS for years, but this unfair funding formula would penalize it and several other states for keeping patients alive and well," said Pallone. "The alternative legislation we introduced today will prevent this funding formula from becoming law, and will give us an additional year to negotiate a better formula."
“It is beyond belief that the federal government would shift funds from states with the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, to states with much lower levels,” Menendez said. “This action is not only short-sighted, but will place an extraordinary burden on states like New Jersey who serve large populations of HIV/AIDS patients. Our measure aims to minimize the potentially disastrous effects of ill-advised HIV/AIDS policies – policies that hamper our nation’s overall war on HIV/AIDS.”
"We are committed to making sure that those living with HIV and AIDS get the treatment they need. That must be the bottom line. We must ensure that the New York region, the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic, continues to have adequate funding while also recognizing the growing needs in states across the country. This is the right and fair approach," said Senator Clinton.
“The current version of the reauthorization defies every iota of reason. Why should states like New York, which have the highest percentage of AIDS and HIV patients in the country, be stripped of its funding that goes to crucial treatment and prevention programs,” Schumer asked. “Plain and simple, this reauthorization punishes us for effectively utilizing money allocated by the original CARE act. We’ve reduced the number of HIV patients who eventually develop AIDS but we still have many patients to treat.”
Lautenberg, Menendez and Pallone noted that New Jersey ranks fifth in the nation in the total number of AIDS cases and number one in the percentage of people with HIV or AIDS who are women.
The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is the Federal law that addresses the unmet health needs of persons living with HIV disease by funding primary health care and support services that enhance access to care. First enacted by Congress in 1990, it was amended and reauthorized in 1996 and again in 2000. The CARE Act reaches over 500,000 individuals each year, making it the federal government's largest program specifically for people living with HIV disease. The CARE Act was named after Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS and against AIDS-related discrimination helped educate the nation.
Those cosponsoring the Lautenberg legislation are fellow Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barack Obama (D-IL), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NJ), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Bill Nelson (D-FL). In the House, Pallone was joined by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Jim Saxton (R-NJ) Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Hilda Solis (D-CA) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Eliot Engel (D-NY). |
