The CBC "Message to America" is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network's (AURN) affiliate stations.

WHO:        U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY)

WHEN:      Saturday, September 30, 2006; 12:06 p.m. EST

WHERE:   American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations

"Hi, this is Congressman Ed Towns of Brooklyn, New York. This week Congress considered reapproving funding for HIV/AIDS under the Ryan White Care Act.

"The truth is that this administration has forced a terrible fight between regions that have historically bourne the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and others who have experienced a more recent outbreak. Is one person’s pain any greater than another person’s pain? No. If you are sick and need care in Brooklyn or anywhere else, you need care. Period.

"The new HIV/AIDS epidemic is having a frightening affect on African American communities across our country. African Americans are nearly half of the new HIV/AIDS cases and the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African American adults and adolescents is 10 times the rate for whites. This has clearly reached pandemic proportions in our communities.

"Considering what is happening on the streets of our communities, should Brooklyn be fighting other places for needed HIV/AIDS dollars? The answer is no.

"Clearly, this is a fight forced on me and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus because HIV/AIDS care is dreadfully underfunded by this administration. We should not be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Period. We should all have enough money to take care of the people most at-risk regardless of where they live.

"Now, here is something else that really makes me angry. Even though the Congressional Black Caucus has led the fight for HIV/AIDS prevention and care, the ABC television network said last month that the Caucus has done little to slow this fearsome epidemic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Just last month in my office, Congressional Black Caucus members worked together to get the minority aids initiative into the Ryan White Care Act for the first time.

This means millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS treatment and care. ABC needs to talk to me, or Congresswoman Maxine Waters or the head of our Health Braintrust, Donna Christensen or Barbara Lee from Oakland, California, to get it straight.

"We all need to get away from the wild rhetoric and fully fund HIV care for all of our communities.

"This is Congressman Ed Towns of Brooklyn, New York and I approve this message."