Orrin Hatch: “As the original author of the Ryan White CARE Act with Senator Kennedy in 1990, I am extremely pleased to hear of the…”

“As the original author of the Ryan White CARE Act with Senator Kennedy in 1990, I am extremely pleased to hear of the committee's action to provide such a high level of support for the CARE Act. There is no doubt we have come a long way in the past 7 years. A good deal of that progress has been made because you, Senator Specter, have had the foresight and the courage to provide the funding HHS needs to operate the program. And I hope all of our colleagues recognize that fact. But, despite our best efforts at both research and services, AIDS is still a serious problem in the United States. The most promising development we have had in years are the protease inhibitors and the combination therapies which are giving thousands of people literally a new lease on life. In fact, as you have noted, we are now seeing lower mortality rates for individuals for the first time in the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Let me ask you one final question. Are you satisfied that the committee's recommendation for the ADAP program will be sufficient?”