Congress Adjourns Without Passing Ryan White CARE Act

While disappointed by the Senate's failure to pass the Ryan White CARE Act, AIDS Action Council's leaders say they remain confident the act will be reauthorized when Congress reconvenes on Nov. 9. "We have been meeting for two-and-a-half years about this," said AAC Executive Director Rebecca Haag. "Most of the difficult issues have been resolved and with just a small amount of new funding, we are certain that the Senate will return with renewed energy in November and pass a solid, life-saving, bipartisan CARE Act."

According to Haag, the issue of some U.S. regions losing funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and care services caused the bill to flounder in the Senate after being passed by the House. "This hurdle can be cleared with just $100 million this year. The U.S. spends over $7 billion a day, not including billions in emergency funds. For 0.004 percent of that amount or $270,000 a day, we can solve the problem," she said. "We are going right back to work with all those senators and representatives who proclaimed that they would work hard to make sure that needed money is there."

Katy Caldwell, AAC board chairperson and executive director of Houston-based Legacy Community Health Services, said fighting the epidemic and providing services to those living with HIV/AIDS must take precedence. "We are really resolved that states not be pitted against each other," she said. "While it's true that the epidemic has increased rapidly in rural areas including the South, it's important to remember that the epidemic continues to increase in cities and the historic centers of the epidemic as well."

Back to other news for November 6, 2006