Subject: Reagan to Form An Advisory Panel On AIDS Crisis
Date: Published: 5/5/87 59 lines
Source:  WALL STREET JOURNAL. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. 

   Reagan to Form
   An Advisory Panel
   On AIDS Crisis
    ---
    By Ellen Hume
   Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

   WASHINGTON -- President Reagan said he'll form an advisory
commission on the AIDS crisis, but he stopped short of
endorsing a proposed major education and public relations
program to halt the spread of the disease.
   The president's decision to take the politically safest,
minimal stance reflects the fact that he still hasn't
resolved a dispute within his administration over how far to
go in addressing the crisis.  Even though Mr. Reagan has given
one major speech lauding AIDS research and he's expected to
give another late this month, White House officials privately
say he's uncomfortable with the subject.  They believe he
prefers sticking to a "moral message" against sexual
promiscuity rather than tackling troubling decisions about
testing and sex education.
    Mr. Reagan rejected a proposed national mailing on
acquired immune deficiency syndrome, deciding instead to
appoint the commission to consider what a mailing should say
and to come up with other recommendations for dealing with
the epidemic.  He thus delayed indefinitely a resolution of a
dispute within his administration over how to deal with the
growing health problem.
   Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has enraged some
conservatives by promoting explicit sex education to prevent
 the spread of AIDS, including birth-control education and
abortion counseling for pregnant women with AIDS. Education
Secretary William Bennett has instead advocated a much less
 direct education program that would emphasize morality and
prevention of sexual promiscuity.
   Making the decisions yesterday at a meeting of his
Domestic Policy Council, the president made clear that "he's
going ahead with AIDS research and AIDS prevention programs,"
according to White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater.
   Mr. Fitzwater, who hoped to dispel the notion that the
commission would delay action on the AIDS crisis, said the
president emphasized at the meeting "the need to keep moving"
on the AIDS issue.
   Some members of Congress who support the idea of
establishing the commission don't believe that the White
House can delay decisions on testing and education programs
 much longer.  "This thing is exploding right now," said Rep. 
Jerry Lewis (R., Calif.).  "We can't afford to wait two years
for his successor.  That's too late."

[This article is made available here by Dow Jones Co. for the 
personal and non-commercial use of callers to this bbs, in the 
hope that it will be of some help to those who are suffering 
from the disease and others who are seeking to help them.]