Barbara Lee Attends XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C. – This weekend Congresswoman Barbara Le will be attending the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna Austria. The International AIDS Conference is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward. Congresswoman Lee is the only Member of Congress to attend the last six conferences.
“I am extremely pleased to once again attend this year’s International AIDS Conference in Vienna,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I look forward to having the opportunity to talk with people from all over the world and share research, ideas, and develop new solutions to address the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS globally, and in the United States.
“It is my hope that out of this conference we will be able to push for greater funding for our global AIDS programs, including the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to develop ideas and provide the necessary momentum to secure greater resources to fully implement our new National AIDS Strategy and fight AIDS at home.”
"As a prelude to the 2012 conference in Washington DC, it is critical that the United States demonstrates to the global AIDS community in Vienna that our commitment to battling this disease is unwavering and that with continued leadership from the United States, we can stamp HIV/AIDS from the face of the earth."
Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. She co-authored legislation signed into law creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2000, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, and the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008, including eliminating the HIV travel and immigration ban.
She was instrumental in the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act that will continue to allow for lifesaving AIDS treatment to reach people in need, along with supporting ongoing community outreach programs and services, and training for clinicians.
The reauthorization of PEPFAR in 2008 included language originally authored by Congresswoman Lee to remove the HIV travel and immigration ban and led to the formal elimination of the ban by President Obama last year, clearing the way for the International AIDS Conference to finally return to the United States in 2012.
Additionally, she helped lead the charge to rollback the federal ban on funding for needle exchange programs to ensure that these proven initiatives can receive the much needed resources they need to bring drug users into care and addiction recovery programs.
The International AIDS Conference is held every two years. The last conference held in the United States was in 1990 in San Francisco, California. The conference will return to the United States in 2012 in Washington, DC.
Note: to schedule an interview with Congresswoman Lee during the IAS Conference in Vienna, please contact Nicole Y. Williams at (202) 579-1925.
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