III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 98 

Expressing the sense of Congress on the need for a national AIDS strategy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 

Mrs. CLINTON submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress on the need for a national 

AIDS strategy. 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 1,000,000 people are currently living with HIV in the United States; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 56,300 individuals were newly infected with 

HIV in 2006; 

Whereas approximately 25 percent of individuals with HIV 

are unaware that they are infected; 

Whereas the estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention utilizes a new methodology that has resulted 

in more accurate estimates of new infections than the 

previous methodology; 


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•SCON 98 IS 

Whereas previous estimates of HIV infection rates undercounted the rate of infection by 40 percent; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

have determined that the leading transmission category 

of HIV infection is male-to-male sexual contact, followed 

by heterosexual contact and injection drug use; 

Whereas the 2000 United States Census noted that AfricanAmericans account for approximately 13 percent of the 

population of the United States, but in 2006 AfricanAmericans accounted for 45 percent of new infections; 

Whereas, of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 

who were diagnosed with HIV between 2001 and 2005, 

more than 60 percent were African-American; 

Whereas the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American 

adults and adolescents is 10 times higher than that of 

their White counterparts and the rate of diagnoses for 

Black women is nearly 23 times the rate for White 

women; 

Whereas, in 2006, Black women accounted for 61 percent of 

new HIV infections among women and had an infection 

rate that was almost 15 times higher than that of White 

women; 

Whereas AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women 

between the ages of 25 and 34; 

Whereas the Black AIDS Institute notes that there are more 

African-Americans living with HIV in the United States 

than there are people living with HIV in 7 out of the 15 

focus countries served by the President’s Emergency 

Plan for AIDS Relief; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note 

that socioeconomic issues impact the rates of HIV infecVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:50 Sep 16, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC98.IS SC98

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tion among Blacks, and studies have found an association 

between higher AIDS incidence and lower incomes; 

Whereas, in 2006, Hispanics accounted for 18 percent of new 

HIV/AIDS diagnoses, but account for approximately 15 

percent of the overall population, according to the Bureau of the Census; 

Whereas, in 2005, HIV/AIDS was the fourth leading cause 

of death among Hispanic men and women between the 

ages of 35 and 44; 

Whereas, in 2006, Hispanic women were 5 times more likely 

to have AIDS than non-Hispanic White women; 

Whereas, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, funding for domestic HIV prevention programs was decreased 

by more than $40,000,000 in the 5-year period beginning 

with fiscal year 2003 and ending with fiscal year 2008, 

despite the evidence that HIV infections continue to increase in at-risk communities; 

Whereas, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the 

President’s fiscal year 2009 budget requests a decrease 

of $15,700,000 for the Minority AIDS Initiative, despite 

the fact that HIV has a disproportionate impact on African-Americans and other racial and ethnic minority populations; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are 

engaging in outreach programs to increase HIV testing 

in jurisdictions with the highest AIDS case rates among 

African-Americans, and those outreach programs are expected to identify approximately 20,000 previously 

undiagnosed cases; 

Whereas, despite those efforts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have noted that ‘‘new strategies are 


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warranted to increase HIV testing, particularly among 

persons who are disproportionately affected by HIV infection’’; 

Whereas the United States must do more to address the disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS in minority communities; 

Whereas the United States needs to address the stigma faced 

by individuals living with HIV and AIDS and help communities have an open discussion about HIV and the behaviors that contribute to increased transmission rates; 

Whereas the United States needs to ensure that prevention 

efforts are founded on a base of scientific evidence and 

reinforce interventions that have proven successful; 

Whereas the United States must do more to provide education and testing in the communities most at risk; 

Whereas the United States needs to involve individuals living 

with HIV and AIDS in the development of policies and 

programs regarding prevention and treatment; and 

Whereas the United States needs to develop a comprehensive 

national AIDS strategy that will unite efforts to prevent 

new HIV infections, treat HIV and AIDS, reduce stigma, 

and increase education about HIV and associated conditions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) calls upon the President to develop a na4 tional AIDS strategy, with the input of individuals 

5 living with HIV and the communities that have been 

6 adversely impacted by the AIDS epidemic; 


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•SCON 98 IS 

1 (2) calls upon the Federal Government to part2 ner with African-American communities, particularly 

3 faith-based groups and community-based organiza4 tions, to develop strategies to reduce and reverse the 

5 impact of the epidemic upon Black communities; 

6 (3) calls upon the Department of Health and 

7 Human Services to increase education and outreach 

8 regarding HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, to 

9 ensure that all people in the United States are 

10 aware of how to protect themselves from infection; 

11 and 

12 (4) calls upon the people of the United States 

13 to educate themselves about HIV infection and the 

14 ways in which they can protect themselves. 

Æ 


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