October 21, 2009

Barbara Lee Supports Extension of Ryan White Act

For Immediate Release
October 21, 2009

Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661


Legislation will provide affordable, quality care for people living with AIDS

Washington, DC –Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) voted in support of S. 1793, The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act This legislation makes vital investments in care and treatment services to ensure that Americans living with HIV and AIDS can maintain the highest quality of life while supporting prevention and outreach programs to help to protect those who are at risk of getting infected. The measure passed the House by a vote of 408-9. She released this statement.

“HIV/AIDS is devastating the United States. Tragically, young gay men, and minorities are facing the brunt of this epidemic. We must do a better job of protecting those who are most at risk, while taking care of those who are already infected. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act is a positive step in that direction.

“Specifically, this bill will strengthen the Minority AIDS Initiative by moving it back to a formula based grant system, requiring a GAO study, and a subsequent department wide plan by HHS to ensure that the program will function as it was intended.

“Now that we have passed this legislation, we must provide the funding to carry out these worthy programs. While the bill allows for a yearly increase of 5 percent each year, we can and should provide more.  I’m pleased that the President is developing a National AIDS Strategy to guide our response to this epidemic. I believe that we need a domestic PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program that matches our global efforts to combat this epidemic.

“Additionally, we must support and advance public health interventions that we know have been proven to work - needle exchange, comprehensive sex education, and as well dealing with the very real epidemic of HIV/AIDS in our prison systems.

“I recognize that this bill is indeed a compromise, but I want to be clear that I personally believe there are still many things that we can and must do to properly fight this disease in the United States and to truly stamp out HIV/AIDS from the face of the earth." 

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