[Letter to President Clinton from R. Scott Hitt]

MAR-02-99 12:41 Fromu:VaESaft&Pev NatlliniuProg COC Atlanta USA [phone] T-1 P200Jo-03
02/23/99 I15: 48 FAX AtSPtc jO/O
/ ThC Honorable William Xcfferaon Clinton
February 171999
Page Two,4.
Recommsadatiorn: The Council strongly urges the Administration to locate funds in this
fiscal year to restore funding for the DOD HIV research program to its FYI 998 level. The
Council almo recoimnends that you emend your budget request to ensure no loss in
Amding this effort in FY2000. Int addition, we strongly urge you to direct Scrotary
Cohen to demand better coordination in AIDS research among the several military
services.
lIVy Preveutiou. Although your budget includes important start-up funding for the "Know Your
Status" campaign which we recommended during our December meeting, it other wise essentially
f lat-funds HIV prevention activities. The only hope for reaching your goal of reducing the
number of new infections until there are none is to ensure that the federal govewnment pursues a
comprehensive and appropriately-targeted national strategy. Such a strategy to turn the tide
against HIV will require substantial new funding for HIV prevention activities.
Recommendation: The Council strongly urges you to instruct the Centers for Disease
Control and?revetion and the leadership of the Department of Health and Human
Services to work wit~the Office of National AIDS Policy to swiftly develop and
articulate a comprehensive national prevention plan. We encourage you to locate
suffikient funding to implement such a plan in FYZ000.
flousing Opportunitics for People with AIDS. Recent studies have underscored the critical
link between stable housing and access to health care for persons with lIy/AIDS. Although the
homeless and marginally housed can adhere to prescribed therapies, the iristabiflty of
homelessness presents myriad stresses that may compromise access to, and consistent use of,
medical care. $y recommending a mere 6.6% increase ($15 million) in I1OPWA funding in
FY2000, your budget tails to address the growing housing oiisis among persons living with
~IIV/AIDS.
Recommemlotlon: The Council recommends a substantial increase in funding for
I{OPWA in order to address in a more effective manner the critical housing ineeds faced
by persons living with HIV disease.
Thank you for your consideration of our views on these important funding maflers. We look
forward to working with you and members of your Adrninistralion in the coxming months.

R. Sc
Chair