06-11-2004, 07:44 PM
No one honestly can call Reagan's record on AIDS spending a portrait of a do-nothing presidency. White House budget documents from the 1980s show that Reagan proposed at least $2.79 billion for AIDS research, education and treatment. In 1998, the Congressional Research Service's Judith Johnson reported that the administration spent $5.727 billion on HIV/AIDS from 1982 to 1989, with average AIDS outlays growing a generous 128.92 percent a year.
"The Encyclopedia of AIDS" repeats another widespread myth: that Reagan never said the word "AIDS" until 1987. In fact, no later than Sept. 17, 1985, Reagan told reporters, "[I]ncluding what we have in the budget for '86, it will amount to over a half a billion dollars that we have provided for research on AIDS . . . Yes, there's no question about the seriousness of this and the need to find an answer."
"The Encyclopedia of AIDS" repeats another widespread myth: that Reagan never said the word "AIDS" until 1987. In fact, no later than Sept. 17, 1985, Reagan told reporters, "[I]ncluding what we have in the budget for '86, it will amount to over a half a billion dollars that we have provided for research on AIDS . . . Yes, there's no question about the seriousness of this and the need to find an answer."
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