Barbara Lee Marks One Year Anniversary of National HIV/AIDS Strategy, Hosts Briefing with National Leaders
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) hosted a briefing for Members of Congress with Jeff Crowley, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and Department of Health and Human Services Officials on the one-year anniversary of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Congresswoman Lee released the following statement:
“Today marks a very important occasion because one year ago President Obama announced the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, answering our call for a ‘domestic PEPFAR strategy’ with clear goals and a timeline to, once and for all, end the domestic HIV epidemic.
“Working closely with the White House and my colleagues in Congress to develop a comprehensive, domestic effort, I am pleased to see the strategy is becoming an effective vehicle to improve the national response to an epidemic that continues to devastate communities across the country.
“Though we still have a ways to go to ensure we reach all communities affected by the epidemic, I look forward to working with my colleagues toward achieving the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.”
***
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, the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008, and in 2005 legislation addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. She has also been a leader in the effort to establish a National AIDS Strategy, and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services & Education with jurisdiction over all domestic HIV/AIDS funding. She is the only United States representative on United Nations Development Programme’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law and was the original sponsor of legislation that lead to the repeal of the Immigration and Travel ban that barred the entry of HIV positive individuals. The repeal allowed the International AIDS conference - scheduled for July 2012 in Washington DC - to be held in the U.S. after 20 years.
Follow Barbara Lee on Twitter @RepBarbaraLee