Rick Lazio: “I rise today to support S. 641, the Ryan White CARE Act amendments conference Report. I am a cosponsor of the House…”

“I rise today to support S. 641, the Ryan White CARE Act amendments conference Report. I am a cosponsor of the House bill. It is long overdue and I am glad that Congress is finally completing its work on this measure. New York has been hit especially hard by the AIDS epidemic as close to 20 percent of all AIDS cases are in my home State. Since its enactment, the Ryan White CARE Act has provided a wider range of services for people of all racial, ethnic, and social-economic classes throughout the United States who are struggling with HIV disease. These funds provide a coordinated continuum of care for these individuals. Some of the services supported by the CARE Act include outpatient health and medical services, pharmaceuticals, funding for continuation of private health insurance, and some health care. As a society we have a responsibility to provide for those who are truly needy. Since its original enactment the Ryan White program has helped tens of thousands of AIDS victims in my home State of New York State as well as those throughout the country. We need to reauthorize the Ryan CARE Act without any further delay and I urge all my colleagues to vote for its passage.”