Tom Coburn: “this amendment would shift $35 million from various programs that have been funded above the President's request…”

“this amendment would shift $35 million from various programs that have been funded above the President's request, programs that have been funded above the President's request in the State AIDS drug assistance programs. The funds would be redirected primarily from administrative accounts that do not directly benefit people into an ADAP program which directly benefits hundreds of thousands of people infected with HIV. As assistance to those who have HIV, this program provides medicine for lower income, uninsured individuals who are HIV positive but do not qualify for Medicaid. Pressures on the State ADAP groups have led 35 States to implement emergency measures in the last year leaving 23 States to cut patients or restrict their access to medically necessary drugs in fiscal 1997. In 1996, for the first time in the history of the HIV epidemic, AIDS deaths declined. They declined because of triple drug therapy. Unfortunately, that decline was not manifested or recognized in women. AIDS deaths actually increased. Unfortunately, that decline was not recognized in minority populations or in children. Those deaths actually increased. What this amendment is designed to do, although the chairman of this committee has worked hard to increase the funding, there will still be between 30,000 and 70,000 Americans who are HIV infected, who are uninsured and low income, who will not have availability of these drugs.”