Submitted on: July 4, 1993

Subject:Clinton Signs Legislation to Strengthen AIDS Efforts
 
Washington, DC (EGCM) President Clinton invited representatives of health
care, women's and lesbian and gay organizations to the White House to witness
his signing of the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act, landmark
AIDS legislation which will strengthen the Office of AIDS Research at NIH.
 
The AIDs provisions included in the law emerged from a reform originally
proposed by the Treatment Activist Group (TAG) and was hailed by AIDS
activists as a major step to improve coordination and management of research
programs throughout the twenty one institutes that comprise the NIH.
 
"The central planning, budgeting and evaluation functions created by this
reform will ensure that funds are spent and managed more efficiently than they
have been in the past," said Steve Smith of the Human Rights Campaign Fund who
attended the White House signing ceremony and spoke with the President.  "With
this law, we will be able to ge the maximum benefit from the dollars the
federal government is committing to AIDS."
 
President Clinton stressed the importance of the legislation in battling AIDS
and women's health concerns, noting in particular his support "for the
inclusion of women and minorities in research activities.  It's important that
we ensure that resources are devoted to increasing our knowledge about
conditions which uniquely affect these populations."
 
The President called the battle against AIDS "an immense undertaking" and
noted that "nearly 300 of our fellow citizens" become infected with HIV each
day.  "We must improve the effectiveness of our prevention activity, increase
access to early treatment for already infected individuals, and strengthen our
research programs," the President said.
 
The President expressed thanks for several organizations that participated in
the effort to enact the health reforms, among them the Women's Health Network,
the Breast Cancer Coalition and the Human Rights Campaign Fund.  "We have to
learn to deal with AIDS better." the President said. "I think we could benefit
people all around if we can make progress on AIDS."
 
For more information contact:  Gregory King; The Human Rights Campaign Fund;
1012 14th Street NW #607; Washington, DC  20005; Voice 202-628-4160; Fax
202-347-5323; BBS 202-639-8735.  Be sure to mention in your correspondencethat
you heard of this through The Electronic Gay Community Magazine.m
 
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