Eliot Engel: “as home to 17 percent of the Nation's AIDS population, there are few pieces of legislation we will pass this year that…”

“as home to 17 percent of the Nation's AIDS population, there are few pieces of legislation we will pass this year that are as profoundly important to New York as the Ryan White CARE Act. New York remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS crisis, leading the Nation in both the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS and the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS each year. This vital program which provides lifesaving services for individuals with HIV/AIDS has unfortunately been relegated to a vicious formula fight over the past year pitting States against each other, with a lot of false statements being lodged along the way. I want to be clear that despite what some may say, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has not ``shifted,'' it has expanded. One-half of all people living with AIDS reside in five States: New York, California, Florida, Texas and New Jersey. Three of these States: NY, NJ, and FL, will continue to face losses under this reauthorization. There is no question that other States have mounting epidemics and they are absolutely entitled and deserving of more funding. An ideal Ryan White bill would have ensured that every State had enough money to meet their full needs. I offered an amendment in committee to increase funding for the bill with Mr. Towns, Ms. Eshoo and Mrs. Capps. It failed on an essentially party line vote, which is a shame as this will minimize our ability to alleviate the growing unmet need for HIV/AIDS treatment services in our communities nationwide.”