The Associated Press - 6 Dec 1995

"A cure and a vaccine. That must be our first and top priority," Clinton said. "We have never before had a disease we cannot conquer. We can conquer this."

Clinton highlighted his administration's efforts to combat AIDS, such as speeding the drug approval process to make new medicines available within six months, "faster than any European nation."

He also said he would oppose any effort by Congress to undermine funds for AIDS research or to reduce Medicaid programs, which support nearly half of all AIDS sufferers and 90 percent of children with AIDS.

That is a primary worry among the 250 people, mainly AIDS activists, physicians, researchers and clergy, who participated in the one-day meeting.

They said they don't want efforts to balance the budget to force the elimination or reduction of AIDS funding. Comparing the fight against AIDS to U.S. intervention in Bosnia, they said Clinton has a responsibility to fight a scourge at home, too.

"Surely this virus is our enemy. And just as surely, we must have courageous leadership to protect us from this plague," said Eileen Mitzman, whose 26-year-old daughter Marni died of AIDS in 1991. "Use your intervention to persuade them to accept the fact that AIDS is our war at home."

HIV-positive AIDS activist Sean Sasser, 27, whose partner, Pedro Zamora, died of the disease last year, told Clinton that the United States ought to "fight and pay whatever it costs" to find a cure for AIDS.

"Mr. President, I do not want to die feeling cheated or left out by my country, or my country's leaders," Sasser said. "I want to be here for the cure."

Clinton agreed that AIDS funding is crucial, noting a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said 500,000 AIDS cases had been diagnosed, with a rapid rate of infection among young Americans. More than 300,000 people have died of the disease, he said.

"It has taken too many of our friends and loved ones," Clinton said. "We have to reduce the number of new infections each and every year until there are no new infections."

Copyright 1995/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.

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Copyright © 1995 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.

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