FLOOR STATEMENT - ADAP Appropriations FY 07 –
Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen MD. (D-VI)

Floor U.S. House of Representatives 6 June 2006.

The Honorable Donna Christian-Christensen MD Chair, Health
Brain Trust – The Congressional Black Caucus.
Board Member – TII CANN

II 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 dependant on ADAP for their life
 saving HIV/AIDS medication plus the 10,000 who are likely to be added next year. 

.

The six year, historical ADAP under-funding is evident in the growing state waiting lists, unacceptable
eligibility rules, and insufficient medications. 

Current initiatives emphasize testing which I agree is critical in addressing this epidemic. However, as a doctor
 am troubled by the ethics of testing Americans for HIV when we are not guaranteeing them access to treatment.
 I’m also very disturbed that this under-funding will primarily impact low income, uninsured Americans who are d
isproportionately from communities of color. And as a Member of Congress I’m ashamed that we are not doing
all that we should and could to take care of the needs  of ALL Americans with HIV disease.

I call on my colleagues to support full funding for Ryan White and the $986.5 million ADAP level identified by T
he National ADAP Working Group.  Only by fully funding ADAP will we step up to our public health responsibility
to treat ALL HIV+ Americans

FLOOR STATEMENT - ADAP Appropriations FY 07 –
Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen MD. (D-VI)

AIDS Drug Assistance Protocol Fund
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