PI Action alerts & updates ... 2002

Advocates Protest U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Tommy Thompson at International AIDS Conference

Write Secretary Thompson and Urge Him To Make Good On His Pledge For The U.S. To Lead The Fight Against HIV/AIDS

July 19, 2002 — On Tuesday, July 9th, U.S. and international participants of the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona protested a speech by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. The protest was organized by the African American AIDS Policy and Training Institute, AID for AIDS, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, AIDS Project Los Angeles, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, African Services Committee, ACT UP/New York, ACT UP/Philadelphia, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Health GAP, National Minority AIDS Council, National Association of People With AIDS, Project Inform, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Survive AIDS, Test Positive Aware Network, and the Treatment Action Group.

The protest was organized to call attention to the Bush Administration’s failed leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the United States and globally. Two days earlier, Secretary Thompson had stated in a press conference that the U.S. government is committed to providing sufficient support for domestic and international programs to reverse the HIV epidemic, in addition to reducing HIV incidence among American youth by 50% by the year 2010 and addressing racial and ethnic health disparities fueling the U.S. AIDS epidemic.

These are encouraging words. However, the Bush Administration’s record on HIV/AIDS tells a different story. Since taking office, President Bush has offered no increase for the Ryan White CARE Act, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and highly inadequate increases for the Minority HIV/AIDS initiative.

He has not proposed adequate funding or support for HIV prevention programs, and has focused instead on abstinence-based prevention programs. He has continued the federal government’s refusal to support needle exchange programs, choosing politics over science. Finally, he has offered highly inadequate donations from the United States to the United Nations Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

While the Secretary’s speech on Tuesday was drowned out by chanting protestors, a copy of his speech was made available. In that speech, Secretary Thompson made the following comments:

“Speaking of politics, some have found it easy and popular to criticize the United States for not doing enough to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. I would like to speak about that for a moment. As you know, this is a new administration—we’re about 18 months in—and with it has come a new and unprecedented commitment to this cause.

“Simply put, no administration in any nation has ever made fighting HIV/AIDS as high a priority as the United States under this Administration.

“Today I pledge to you: the fight against HIV/AIDS has no greater ally than United States under President Bush. This is not a fight we will abandon. This is a fight we will lead.”

Later in the day, the Secretary met with a small group of HIV/AIDS advocates to discuss the Bush Administration’s inadequate response to fighting the epidemic. In that meeting, Secretary Thompson and advocates discussed a broad range of issues. The Secretary indicated that he was committed to meeting again with the group and also that he is open to hearing more from the HIV/AIDS community.

That’s where you can help insist that the Bush Administration make good on the pledge made at the International Conference and take a leadership role in fighting HIV/AIDS at home and abroad.

What you can do:
Write a short note to Secretary Thompson. Let him know that the Bush Administration’s record on HIV/AIDS does not match the words he spoke in Barcelona and that you are holding him to his pledge.

Secretary Thompson’s office has indicated that they do not have the staff to take public comments over the phone and email is not a good way to communicate with them. You can mail or FAX your letter. If you don’t have access to a FAX machine and don’t want to mail a letter, you can email your letter to tan@projectinform.org and we will FAX it to his office. Make sure you include your full name and mailing address.

Contact information:
Mailing address:
The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201

FAX:
202-690-7203

Sample letter:

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary, Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201

Dear Secretary Thompson,

I am writing about your speech at the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona. I am pleased that you is pledging that the United States will lead the fight against HIV/AIDS. However, the Bush Administration’s record does not match that pledge.

I am asking you and the Bush Administration to support adequate funding for all care, treatment, prevention, research, and housing HIV/AIDS programs, science-based prevention programs including needle exchange that have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV, the Early Treatment HIV For Act which would expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income people living with HIV, and the $2.5 billion contribution to the Global AIDS Fund requested by the United Nations. Only then can the Secretary claim that the Bush Administration has made fighting HIV/AIDS a top priority.

Insert personal statement here. You might discuss how HIV/AIDS has affected you or people you care about.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Please forward this Alert to your family, friends, colleagues, etc. and ask them to take action as well!