Arlen Specter: “Funding for the Ryan White AIDS programs was a priority for the committee this year, and I worked very hard to make sure…”

“Funding for the Ryan White AIDS programs was a priority for the committee this year, and I worked very hard to make sure that we provided an adequate level for the Health Resources and Services Administration service programs, as well as, I might add, for research at the National Institutes of Health. I am pleased to assure you that S. 1061 contains $1.077 billion for the Ryan White AIDS programs, which is $41 million above the administration's request, and over $80 million higher than the current year's level. That includes $469.9 million for HIV health care and support services, of which $217 million is dedicated to AIDS medications under the State AIDS drug assistance program [ADAP]. That $217 million figure for ADAP compares to $167 million in fiscal year 1997, so it is a substantial increase in an atmosphere of budget constraints.”