Arlen Specter: “I believe the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program is a very important one. I wish we had additional funding so we could accept…”

“I believe the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program is a very important one. I wish we had additional funding so we could accept the amendment offered by the Senator from New York, who seeks to add $400 million to this program. There have been very substantial increases in the program. In 1999, the program was set at approximately $1.4 billion and that has increased to the current appropriation of $2.041 billion. Overall, on HIV/AIDS, in the Labor-HHS bill, we have in excess of $14 billion. The entire bill, which we have, has an allocation $137.6 billion. I fought to have a larger allocation, but this is the maximum appropriation we can make within the budget resolution and within our allocation, as much as I would like to see even more resources directed toward HIV/AIDS. For those reasons, Mr. President, because it does exceed the budget, I raise a point of order under the Budget Act.”