Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment.

The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I understand what Mr. Hastings is doing here and I, too, support the work of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and what it does across the country, assuring that more than 500,000 Americans that cannot otherwise afford it receive the drugs that they need for the HIV virus. This is one of the critical services that is offered to many who cannot afford it. It helps to improve their health and to maintain the public's health in general.

Just last year, the Department of Health and Human Services had to reallocate $25 million to help States that had a lengthy waiting list, people hanging in limbo without access to the medication that we know will help them. And in these difficult economic times, more and more people find themselves also unable to afford treatment. More than 700 Americans were put on that waiting list in 1 month in 2010.

Improving access to care is a priority for me and my colleagues, but this amendment is one that attempts to correct a piece of legislation that is not fixable. We simply cannot rob Peter to pay Paul.

This amendment will pull important resources from two accounts that the Republicans have already decimated that are critical to the public health of our country: the CDC, Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health. I therefore encourage my colleague from Florida to work with me to defeat this reckless continuing resolution rather than amend a bill that is beyond repair.

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