Political Quotes

“Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the first reported HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. On June 5, 1981 Federal researchers reported a baffling new disease that, over the next 20 years, would claim more than 20 million lives worldwide, including nearly 11,000 in Chicago and 40,000 in Illinois. The last 20 years have taught this country many hard lessons, some of which we continue to fail to grasp. The first lesson we learned was that HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts minority communities and women. HIV/AIDS has become the leading cause of death for African-American men ages 25-44. Gay black men are contracting HIV/AIDS at rates comparable to those seen in sub-Saharan Africa. A recent CDC study reported that 30 percent of gay black men between ages 23 and 29 were HIV-positive. Among HIV-positive women in Illinois, more than 80 percent are non-white--a statistic that could not more starkly demonstrate the disproportionate havoc that HIV/AIDS is wreaking in communities of color. While I commend the administration for its focus on HIV/AIDS in Africa, more must be done to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS in minority communities in this country. The President's budget takes a step backwards in the fight against HIV/AIDS by freezing the Ryan White AIDS program funding. This is the first time Ryan White funding has not been increased since the program's inception.”