Congresswoman Waters Honors the AIDS Memorial Quilt during the AIDS 2012 Conference

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) spoke at an event marking the display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall and reading the names of individuals who died of HIV/AIDS and who are remembered on the quilt. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is currently on display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the international AIDS 2012 Conference. Congresswoman Waters, a Congressional leader in the fight to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS through increased awareness, testing, treatment, and funding, is scheduled to speak at the conference on Thursday, July 26^th. The Congresswoman's statement marking the display of the quilt follows:

"I am so deeply honored and humbled to be here to participate in this extraordinary quilt. This quilt is a powerful reminder of the AIDS pandemic and the toll it has taken on our world.

"The AIDS Memorial Quilt was started by gay rights activists who wanted to make certain their friends who had died of AIDS would not be forgotten. The quilt was displayed for the first time here on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. Since then, the quilt continued to grow as the disease continued to spread. Today, the quilt is so large that the National Mall cannot fully contain it.

"The quilt is the largest community art project in the world, and it was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. It is a poignant testimony to love, peace, and possibilities, and I believe it will one day receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which it so richly deserves.

"Today, this extraordinary quilt returns to the National Mall where it was first displayed 25 years ago. It is only fitting that the quilt has become the centerpiece of the International AIDS Conference, a conference at which we rededicate ourselves to working for the day when AIDS is eradicated from our world.

"The quilt has always reflected the evolution of the epidemic. In the early years, most of the panels represented young gay men whose lives were tragically cut short by AIDS. Today, a new series of panels has been added to remember African American men and women who died of AIDS, illustrating the devastating toll that AIDS is now taking in the black community. And as we look across the National Mall at the thousands of quilt panels, we see that AIDS affects us all. There are men, women and children of every race, creed, and color and every walk of life remembered in these beautiful, memorial panels.

"Yet, the AIDS Memorial Quilt is not just a memorial to those who have died. It is a celebration of their lives. The quilt reminds us that every person who died of AIDS was a human being. Every person who died of AIDS had hopes and dreams. Every person who died of AIDS had family and friends who loved them and miss them. Every person who died of AIDS had a name.

"So today we come together to celebrate their lives, and we will read their names."

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Congresswoman Waters is sponsoring several initiatives in the 112^th Congress to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, testing and treatment.

1. Expanding the Minority AIDS Initiative: Congresswoman Waters continues her efforts to expand the Minority AIDS Initiative, which she established as Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1998 to expand HIV awareness, testing, and treatment among racial and ethnic minorities, who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Initiative received $416 million in fiscal year 2012, the same amount as in fiscal year 2011 and more than any previous year. On March 15, 2012, Congresswoman Waters wrote a letter to congressional appropriators requesting $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative for fiscal year 2013 to ensure that the Initiative has the resources needed to combat the AIDS epidemic in these communities. A total of 59 Members of Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter.

2. Preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Federal prisons: Congresswoman Waters reintroduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 3547), which was passed by the House of Representatives on March 17, 2009, but was not taken up by the Senate prior to the adjournment of the 111^th Congress. This bill requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to test all prison inmates for HIV, unless the inmate opts out of taking the test. The bill also requires HIV/AIDS prevention education for all inmates and comprehensive treatment for those who test positive. The bill is cosponsored by 36 of her colleagues.

3. Requiring health insurance plans to cover HIV screening: Congresswoman Waters reintroduced the Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 4470). This bill requires health insurance plans to cover routine HIV tests as preventive health screenings without imposing co-payments or deductibles and therefore enables more Americans to be tested for HIV. About 20% of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States do not know they are infected. Routine HIV screening would allow them to learn of their status and begin treatment. This bill has 40 cosponsors.

4. Promoting HIV screening: On November 17, 2011, Congresswoman Waters sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, urging her to include routine annual screening for HIV in the Essential Health Benefits package under the Affordable Care Act. A total of 54 Members of Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter.

5. Encouraging involvement by clinicians: Congresswoman Waters introduced a resolution (H.Res. 737) in honor of the fifth annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. The resolution urges doctors, nurses, dentists and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services. It also urges individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. This resolution was cosponsored by 16 of her colleagues in Congress.