[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 265 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 265
Supporting the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 4, 2007
Ms. Lee (for herself, Mr. Waxman, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Murphy of
Connecticut, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Towns, Mr. Ellison, Ms.
Norton, Mr. Jefferson, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms.
Kilpatrick, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Israel, Mr. Rush, Mr. Davis
of Illinois, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Stark, and Ms. McCollum of Minnesota)
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day.
Whereas globally, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (``UNAIDS'')
estimates that since the identification of AIDS in 1981, about
65,000,000 people have been infected with HIV, and more than 25,000,000
people have died of AIDS;
Whereas UNAIDS estimated that at the end of 2007, the AIDS pandemic had killed
2,100,000 people while 33,200,000 people were living with HIV worldwide
and of whom 2,500,000 people were newly infected;
Whereas UNAIDS estimates that in 2007, 330,000 children under the age of 15 died
from AIDS, while 2,500,000 children were living with HIV, 90 percent of
whom reside in Sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas UNAIDS estimates that each day 1,800 children under the age of 15 become
newly infected with HIV and only 8 percent of pregnant women worldwide
receive services to prevent HIV transmission to their newborns;
Whereas globally, women are facing rising incidence rates, accounting for
15,400,000 infections and half of the adult population living with HIV/
AIDS;
Whereas developing countries continue to bear the brunt of the AIDS pandemic
with Sub-Saharan Africa serving as the home of 68 percent of all adults
and children living with HIV, 60 percent are women and girls;
Whereas in the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(``CDC'') estimates that over one million people are living with HIV/
AIDS, of whom 25 percent do not know they are infected;
Whereas despite the fact that African-Americans comprise approximately 13
percent of the American population, the CDC estimates that in 2005 they
accounted for 44 percent of all persons living with AIDS and 49 percent
of the estimated 37,331 new HIV/AIDS diagnosis;
Whereas the CDC estimates that in 2005 women represented 26 percent of all new
HIV/AIDS infections with African-American women 25 times more likely to
be infected than white women and accounting for 64 percent of all women
living with HIV/AIDS;
Whereas according to the CDC, in 2005, 4,883 people age 13-24 were newly
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, with African-Americans disproportionately
affected and accounting for 55 percent of all HIV infections reported
among young persons;
Whereas in order to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, in 2006
the Ryan White CARE Act was reauthorized as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS
Treatment Modernization Act, making Federal funds available to United
States metropolitan areas, States, and service providers to assist
affected families and persons living with HIV/AIDS with healthcare and
support services;
Whereas to further focus attention on the HIV/AIDS epidemic among minority
communities in the United States, in 1998, Congress and the Clinton
administration created the Minority AIDS Initiative to provide funds to
State and local institutions and organization to best serve the
healthcare costs and support needs of racial and ethnic minorities
living with HIV/AIDS;
Whereas to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, in 2000, Congress passed the
Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act, providing the first
contribution and the founding framework for what became the Global Fund
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which provides grants to
developing countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria;
Whereas since the Global Fund was created in 2002 donors have pledged more than
$10,000,000,000 in funding, of which $3,000,000,000 has been donated by
the United States;
Whereas as of mid-2007, the Global Fund has supported treatment to over
1,100,000 people for HIV/AIDS, directly observed treatment (``DOTS'') to
2,800,000 people for tuberculosis, and over 30,000,000 insecticide
treated bednets to fight malaria;
Whereas in order to further address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, in 2003,
Congress authorized the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(``PEPFAR'') to authorize $15,000,000,000 over 5 years to combat the
global AIDS epidemic in 15 focus countries, the largest public health
initiative in history launched by a single country to fight a single
disease;
Whereas, between fiscal years 2004 and 2008, PEPFAR programs aim to support care
for 10,000,000 HIV-affected people, including children orphaned by AIDS;
support the prevention of 7,000,000 new HIV infections; and help
2,000,000 people receive antiretroviral treatment;
Whereas, between fiscal years 2004 and 2007, Congress provided nearly
$13,500,000,000 for U.S. global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria
programs;
Whereas of March 31, 2007, PEPFAR has supported the treatment of 1,100,000
people and as of September 2006, has supported the prevention of mother-
to-child HIV transmission during more than 6,000,000 pregnancies and has
facilitated care for nearly 4,500,000 people, including more than
2,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children;
Whereas, in 2001, representatives and heads of state of 189 countries, including
the United States, convened at the first-ever Special Session of the
United Nations General Assembly on HIV/AIDS and unanimously adopted the
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS;
Whereas the UN Declaration of Commitment outlines prevention, treatment, and
funding methods for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of halting
and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015;
Whereas, in 2006, the United Nations General Assembly convened a High Level
Meeting on AIDS, pledging to move toward the goal of universal access of
comprehensive prevention programs, treatment, care, and support by 2010;
Whereas the concept of World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of
Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention and was
established to focus attention on the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and
Whereas December 1, is now recognized as World AIDS Day and has been taken up by
governments, international organizations, and charities around the
world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day and
recognizes the twentieth anniversary of observing this day;
(2) commends the President, State and local governments,
including their public health agencies, for recognizing this
day, for publicizing its importance among their communities,
and for encouraging individuals to undergo testing for HIV;
(3) supports continued funding for prevention, care,
treatment services, and research programs for persons living
with HIV/AIDS in the United States including through the Ryan
White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act, the Minority HIV/
AIDS Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control, the National
Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, the Office of Minority Health, and the
Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(4) supports continued funding for the President's
Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, and the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to provide prevention, care,
and treatment to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries;
(5) supports the goal of providing universal access to
comprehensive prevention, treatment, care, and support programs
by 2010; and
(6) supports efforts to address the factors that make
populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS by decreasing poverty,
hunger, childhood mortality, and by empowering women.
<all>