The Washington Blade - September 10, 1999
Lou Chibbaro Jr.

"[T]he major presidential candidates as a whole have shown very little initiative on the AIDS epidemic, with only Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Vice President Al Gore having proactive records on AIDS issues," AIDS Action said in a statement accompanying its report. "Senator Hatch and Vice President Gore can teach their co-aspirants that the AIDS fight requires strong leadership and has no partisan boundaries."

Pointing to its report, the group said the leading GOP presidential candidate, George W. Bush, "has almost no public record on the epidemic." When he has taken a stand, AIDS Action said, Bush has pushed for "abstinence-only" AIDS education programs and has supported the enactment of a names reporting system to keep track of people with HIV in Texas. AIDS activists have said both of these policies have proven ineffective in curtailing or tracking the epidemic.

The group says former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, the only other Democratic candidate for president, has a strong record of support for funding AIDS programs but made "very few public statements about AIDS while a senator."

The AIDS Action report had these comments on the candidate, who are listed below in alphabetical order, by party:

Bradley (D): Co-sponsor of Ryan White CARE Act in 1990 and 1995; co-sponsored AIDS Research and Information Act of 1987; co-sponsored Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), considered a landmark civil rights bill for people with HIV; voted for two amendments by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), one calling for a spousal notification requirement for states to receive AIDS education funds and the other calling for a mandatory 10-year prison term for health care workers who refuse to disclose their HIV status to their patients; voted against an amendment barring individuals with HIV from immigrating to the United States; voted against a proposal to force HIV-positive servicemembers to be discharged from the military.

Gore (D): As senator, Gore was co-sponsor of Ryan White CARE Act; co-sponsor of AIDS Research and Information Act; co-sponsor of Americans With Disabilities Act; voted against Helms amendment requiring spousal notification as a prerequisite for states to receive federal AIDS education funds; voted against Helms amendment calling for 10-year prison term for doctors that don't disclose their HIV status to their patients; consistently supported increased funding for HIV programs. As vice president, pushed efforts to extend Medicaid coverage to people living with HIV, not just those with full-blown AIDS; pushed for Clinton administration proposal to double U.S. funding for global AIDS assistance programs; helped secure funding in 1998 of $156 million to help fight HIV in communities of color; received criticism for administration's position on right of foreign countries develop low-cost, generic versions of AIDS drugs; criticized for not pushing harder in administration to release federal funds to support needle exchange programs.

Gary Bauer (R): Called needle exchange programs "drug give-aways" for addicts and urged Congress to ban all such programs; said most AIDS cases are caused by "dangerous and morally questionable behavior."

Patrick Buchanan (R): Said AIDS is "nature à exacting an awful retribution" on Gays; said "promiscuous homosexuality" is spreading AIDS; said "Teenage kids having normal sexual intercourse are not spreading AIDS. The problem with AIDS is contaminated needles and promiscuous homosexuality."

Elizabeth Dole (R): According to a report in the Washington Post, in 1995, in her role as head of the Red Cross, she took steps to "tone down" AIDS education literature produced by the Red Cross to stress abstinence instead of condom use as a means of preventing the spread of HIV. Dole reportedly directed her staff to change the literature in response to conservative groups "her husband was courting" for his 1996 race for president.

Orrin Hatch (R): Co-sponsor of Ryan White CARE Act and renewal of the act; co-sponsor of Americans with Disabilities Act; co-sponsor of Health Omnibus Extensive Act of 1988, which created new HIV research programs at NIH; co-sponsor of AIDS Research and Information Act; co-sponsor of Abandoned Infants Assistance Act, aimed at helping children infected with HIV; co-sponsor of amendment by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) to expedite HIV drug approval process; voted for Helms amendment calling for 10-year prison term for doctors that don't inform their patients of their HIV status; voted for ban in allowing HIV-positive immigrants to remain in the United States permanently; voted for Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, which would allow people with disabilities to return to work without losing their Medicaid and Medicare eligibility; introduced legislation to ban all federal funds for needle exchange programs.

Alan Keyes (R): [AIDS Action did not include Keyes in its report.]

John McCain (R): Co-sponsored Ryan White CARE Act and its renewal; introduced amendment to 1990 Ryan White CARE Act calling for assurances that Native Americans receive services under the act; co-sponsored the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act aimed at helping children with HIV; voted for Helms amendment calling spousal notification as a prerequisite for receiving federal AIDS funds; voted for Helms amendment calling for 10-year prison term for doctors that don't notify their patients of their HIV status; voted for ban on allowing immigrations with HIV to permanently immigrate to the United States; co-sponsored bill to permanently ban the use of federal funds for needle exchange programs; voted for the Work Incentives Improvement Act allowing people with disabilities to remain eligible for Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Dan Quayle (R): While in the Senate, Quayle co-sponsored the AIDS Research and Information Act; co-sponsored the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act. As vice president, he joined President Bush in strongly advocating for passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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