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Debate Claims, page two
- President Bush's assertion that Magic Johnson "went to one meeting" of the
National Commission on AIDS is false. In reality, Johnson attended two of the
six Commission meetings held during his nine-month tenure. At the same time,
Commission member Louis Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services,
attended no meetings.
- President Bush's assertion that AIDS is "one of the few diseases where
behavior matters" is false. The reality is that behavior plays a role in all leading
causes of death in the United States, including heart disease, cancer, and the leading
killer, accidental injury. In addition, the Bush administration has opposed funding
the kind of frank education that is proven to help people change their behavior and
stop the spread of HIV.
- President Bush's repeated references to Barbara Bush "holding AIDS
babies" are not false, but offensive. "Barbara Bush is not the President of the
United States. George Bush is, and he has it in his power to do far greater things
to fight AIDS than hold babies," said Bross. "He should stop exploiting the image
of children with AIDS to cover his own responsibility for the extent of the
epidemic."
AIDS Action Council, founded in 1983, is the only national organization devoted
solely to lobbying the federal government on AIDS policy, legislation, and funding.
AIDS Action Council represents more than 800 community-based AIDS service
organization from all over the United States.