On the recordDecember 1, 2017
Today is the 29th World AIDS Day. Let us commemorate those who lost their lives and commit to reducing the 37,000 new HIV infections that occur each year in the United States. In my hometown of Newark, New Jersey, new HIV cases have been rising among young people under the age of 25. According to experts, the rise in new HIV/AIDS cases among young people in Newark is linked to the opioid crisis. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of discussion lately about the opioid crisis, but we forget that it is linked to so many other issues--mental health access, poverty, communicable disease, joblessness, and the list goes on. Congress can help end the opioid crisis and the HIV/AIDS crisis here in the United States soon. But to do that, we must increase funding for healthcare access, mental health treatment, antipoverty programs, disease control, education, and access to HIV PrEP medication. ____________________
