PI Action alerts & updates ... 1997
House Subcommittee Approves Increases
for HIV/AIDS Programs
AIDS Drug Assistance PRogram Receives $132 Million Increase!!
On July 15, the House Labor/Health and Human Services Subcommittee
finished work on the Fiscal Year 1998 Appropriations bill. All HIV/AIDS
programs received increased funding, most of them given bigger increases
than requested by President Clinton.
The best news is that the AIDS Drug Assistance Program received
a $132 million increase. This is a 78% increase over last year’s
funding, and will greatly improve the current crisis in the program.
Thank you to everyone who wrote and called your elected officials
in support of this increase.
In addition to the $132 million increase for ADAP, the subcommittee
authorized a $40 million increase for the Ryan White CARE Act, including
$21.7 million for Title I (medical care and support services in
metropolitan areas hardest hit by the epidemic), $12 million for
Title II (supports states in providing comprehensive AIDS services
in urban, suburban, and rural communities), $3.4 million for Title
IIIB (comprehensive outpatient HIV/AIDS services to rural and underserved
urban areas, particularly women, people of color, and adolescents),
$1.7 million for Title IV (HIV services and clinical research programs
for children, youth, women, and families. While these increases
are significant, they are far short of the amounts identified by
advocates as needed to match the growing need for services.
AIDS research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) received
a $73 million increase over last year’s spending. This increase
is $33 million above President Clinton’s request, but short
of the $135 million identified as need.
The worst news is that HIV prevention programs received only $5
million in extra funding, less than a 1% increase.
Next steps
The full House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider
the appropriations bill as soon as Thursday, July 17. The Senate
Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee may take up its version of
the bill as early as Tuesday, July 22nd.
Action Needed:
Please write, call, or email your House Representative and U.S.
Senator immediately. Ask him/her to support the $132 million increase
for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Stress also the need for a
comprehensive response to the AIDS epidemic and urge him/her to
support the highest possible increases for all HIV/AIDS programs.
