President Calls for AIDS Vaccine
Yesterday, at Morgan State University, in his first commencement address at a historically black college, President Clinton announced new actions to harness the forces of science and technology so that they work for us, not against us, in the 21st Century:
The President called for a national commitment to develop an AIDS vaccine within the next decade, announcing that the National Institutes of Health will establish a new AIDS vaccine research center; pledging to enlist other nations in this crusade at next month's Summit of the Eight in Denver; and challenging America's pharmaceutical industry to make the development of an AIDS vaccine part of its basic mission.
To make sure that no insurer is able to use genetic data to underwrite or discriminate against any American seeking health insurance, the President urged Congress to pass legislation to prohibit insurance companies from using genetic screening information to determine premium rates or eligibility.
President Clinton laid out four guideposts, rooted in our traditional principles of ethics and morals, that must guide us if we are to master the powerful forces of change in the new century: "One, science that produces a better life for all and not the few. Two, science that honors our tradition of equal treatment under the law. Three, science that respects the privacy and autonomy of the individual. Four, science that never confuses faith in technology with faith in God."
SATURDAY: PRESIDENT URGES PASSAGE OF BEST EDUCATION BILL IN A GENERATION: THE BALANCED BUDGET
In his weekly Radio Address, President Clinton hailed the balanced budget agreement's historic investment in education, including the most significant increase in education funding in 30 years, and the single largest increase in higher education since the G.I. Bill in 1945:
It will fund the America Reads challenge, to help every 8-year-old learn to read; and the Technology Literacy Initiative, to help wire every classroom and school library to the Internet by the year 2000.
It includes $35 billion in tax relief for higher education -- including HOPE Scholarship tuition tax credits, a $10,000 education tax deduction, and the largest increase in Pell Grant scholarships for deserving students in two decades.
It expands Head Start, increases job training, and preserves our commitment to school-to-work initiatives, to help give young people the tools they need to succeed.
May 19, 1997
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