RYAN WHITE CARE REAUTHORIZATION ACT (Senate - July 27, 1995) 
Sen. HELMS

Mr. President, more people are dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, lung 
disease, accidents, pneumonia, diabetes, and suicide than die from AIDS; yet 
AIDS receives more of the American taxpayers' money. Something is amiss and 
needs to be corrected.

Today, on average, the Federal Government spends about $91,000 on every person 
who dies of AIDS, and only about $5,000 on every person who dies of cancer. I 
suggest most Americans agree that this discrepancy is simply neither fair nor 
equitable.

Mr. President, in a nutshell, the pending amendment will being a measure of 
equity to the existing priorities in the area of HIV/AIDS funding. As long as 
cancer kills 18 times as many people as AIDS, and AIDS receives more Federal 
funding, it is time that Congress established some new equitable priorities.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter to me by the President of 
the Family Research Council be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the Record, 
as follows:

Family Research Council ,

Washington, DC, July 27, 1995.

Hon. Jesse Helms,

Dirksen Senate Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Senator Helms: On behalf of the 250,000 families which are presented by 
the Family Research Council , I commend your efforts to reform the Ryan White 
Care Act [S. 641].

I am proud to endorse your amendments and encourage the rest of the Senate to 
join you in redirecting federal AIDS spending toward more effective approaches.

One of the biggest problems with the Ryan White Act is its lack of 
accountability. Under the Health Resources Administration, 146 large grants 
are disbursed to state and local programs and further divided up into 
countless subgrants. Unlike most federal funds which are accounted for, these 
subgrants use the money without reporting where or to whom the money has been 
allocated.

In addition to a lack of financial accountability, millions of dollars for 
AIDS victims is being spent to normalize and promote the homosexual lifestyle. 
Many of these efforts are being directed toward school children. The Gay Men's 
Health Crisis, a recipient of Ryan White funds, produced graphically 
illustrated brochures which were given to students in New York City. The 
brochures are replete with shocking vulgarity and urge kids to wear condoms 
and latex gloves while engaging in perverse sexual activity. They recommend 
singular and group masturbation.

Congress should reconsider AIDS education which now emphasizes condoms and has 
been shown in countless studies to be ineffective. Programs seeking funding 
renewal should be required to show evidence that they have reduced HIV 
transmission. Current formulas for funding should be reexamined. For example, 
money ought to go where it is needed most, which is, increasingly, to 
under-served minority communities.

Congress should take advantage of this opportunity to examine the allocations 
of federal AIDS dollars. Instead of bowing to the demands of homosexual 
activists, Congress should reexamine the use of Ryan White funds and take 
steps to overhaul AIDS spending.

AIDS is a tragedy that has been politicized for too long. The American people, 
as well as the victims of this terrible disease, deserve better.

Thank you for your hard work and your commitment to making individual 
responsibility the touchstone of public policy.

Sincerely,

Gary L. Bauer,

President.

Mr. HELMS. I reserve the balance of my time in case there is more argument, 
because I can go on and on about this.