Release of FY1999 Budget

President Clinton has continued his Administration=s strong commitment to meeting the challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Federal Budget, released today.

"I am extremely pleased with the increases we have been able to achieve in the budget to help us address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This is a statement by the President that his resolve to ending this terrible epidemic remains firm," said Sandra L. Thurman, the President=s AIDS Policy Advisor and Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.

"Our challenge now is to work with members of Congress to support these increases," said Ms. Thurman. "There is a long history of bipartisan support for the funding of AIDS programs and we expect that will continue during the upcoming budget process."

For your information, here is information on the FY1999 Federal Budget as it relates to specific HIV/AIDS programs.

HHS Discretionary AIDS Funding Up 8%

Funding for discretionary HIV/AIDS activities at HHS is $3.8 billion, an increase of 8% over FY 1998 and an 83% increase over FY 1993. Total funding in the Budget for HIV/AIDS activities, which includes both mandatory (e.g. Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security) and discretionary activities (e.g. NIH and Ryan White) is $9.7 billion, an 8% increase over FY 1998 and an 85% increase over the FY 1993 level of $5.2 billion.

Ryan White AIDS Treatment Grants Up 14%

The Budget includes $1.315 billion for this activity, a $165 million (+14%) increase above FY 1998 and a 241% increase over the FY 1993 level. Included in this amount is a $386 million set-aside for grants to State AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (a +35% increase over the FY 1998 enacted level of $286 million, and a +642% increase since the set-aside began in FY 1996), which will help ensure that low-income people with HIV/AIDS have access to powerful combination therapy drugs.

HUD Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA) Up 10%

The Budget includes $225 million for HOPWA, a $21 million (+10%) increase over the FY 1998 level of $204 million and $125 million (+125%) over the FY 1993 level of $100 million.

NIH AIDS Research Up 7.7%

The Budget includes $1.731 billion for AIDS research activities at NIH, a 7.7% increase over FY 1998 and a 62% increase over FY 1993. In May 1997, the President challenged the scientific community to develop an AIDS vaccine within the next ten years. As a leader in biomedical research, NIH will spearhead the scientific community's efforts to meet the President's challenge.

CDC HIV and STD Prevention Activities Increased By $15 Million

The Budget includes $15 million in new resources at CDC for HIV prevention (+$5 million) and other sexually transmitted disease activities (+$10 million), as part of the President=s initiative to address racial health disparities. The Budget increases resources for CDC HIV Prevention activities by 28 percent since FY 1993.

Needle Exchange Appropriations Language

The Budget maintains the authority of the HHS Secretary to certify that Federal funds can be used for needle exchange programs (NEPs) if it is proven that such programs are effective in slowing the spread of HIV and that they do not encourage the use of illegal drugs. This language ensures that decisions on needle-exchange programs will continue to be based on scientific evidence of their efficacy rather than the politics.

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