PI Action alerts & updates ... 2003
Senators Schumer and Clinton Offer New Hope For ADAP
Urge Your Senators To Sign Crucial Letter In Support of $162 Million
Increase
Congress has returned to work and efforts are underway to pass
a final appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2003. HIV/AIDS programs
such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) are currently being
funded through a series of “continuing resolutions”,
or temporary spending bills, until Congress can negotiate a final
bill.
The House of Representatives is expected to pass another continuing
resolution until the end of January, to allow time for negotiating
a final bill. It will then work on drafting an “omnibus”
appropriations bill, which will combine all the various spending
bills into one. It is expected that this bill will be negotiated
by a small group, with little opportunity for most House members
to debate or amend the bill.
The Senate, however, is expected to pass separate appropriations
bills, with opportunities for individual Senators to debate and
amend the bills before they are finalized. A joint House/Senate
conference committee will eventually come together to work out differences
between the two versions.
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)
are circulating a sign-on letter to other Senators urging Senate
appropriators to provide the $162 million increase for ADAP identified
by experts as needed to address the current fiscal crisis in the
program. If enough Senators sign this letter, it may provide a new
chance to obtain a meaningful and desperately needed increase for
ADAP in the final appropriations bill.
What you can do:
Please call your two U.S. Senators immediately, in their Washington,
DC office. Ask to speak to the legislative staffer who handles HIV/AIDS
issues. Whether you speak to that person live or leave a message,
tell them:
Sample Phone Message
“I am a constituent of Senator ____________’s
and I urge him/her to sign the letter by Senators Schumer and Clinton
that urges a $162 million increase over the President’s request
for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. This program is in a fiscal
crisis in many states and this increase is desperately needed to
ensure that people living with HIV have access to lifesaving treatment.
To sign this letter, please contact Heather McLean in Senator Schumer’s
office, Heather_McLean@schumer.senate.gov, or 202-224-6542.”
Please act on this Alert quickly and urge your family, friends,
coworkers, etc. to do the same!
Contact information:
You can reach your Senators toll-free through the Capitol switchboard
toll-free at 800-648-3516. Ask to be transferred to their offices.
Don’t know who your representative is? Call 1-888-VOTE-SMART
or visit www.vote-smart.org.
Please forward this Alert to your friends, family, colleagues,
etc. and ask them to take action!
For more information, contact one of the following SAVE ADAP members:
Bill Arnold (DC)
Title II Community AIDS National Network
202-588-1775
weaids@tiicann.org
Mark Baker (Massachusetts)
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod
508-487-9445 x47 or pasg@capecod.net
James Carr (Indiana)
jamesmcarr@hotmail.com
Lei Chou (New York)
AIDS Treatment Data Network
TheAccessProject@aol.com
Ryan Clary (California)
Project Inform
415-558-8669 x224
rclary@projectinform.org
Linda Dee (Maryland)
AIDS Action Baltimore
410-837-2437
lyndamdee@aol.com
Amanda Diers (Florida)
Florida AIDS Action
813-974-2838
amandaflaac@aol.com
Pat Donahue (Rhode Island)
tapd33@hotmail.com
Mark Garrett (Washington)
Spokane AIDS Network
509-455-8993 x221
speakinup@msn.com
Sue Gibson (Texas):
suegibson@nova1.net
Kathie Hiers (Alabama)
AIDS Alabama
205-324-9822 ext. 331
Kathie@aidsalabama.org
Patrick Lee (North Carolina)
North Carolina Council for Positive Living
336-586-0062
ncaan@ncpositiveliving.org
David Munar (Illinois)
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
312-922-2322
dmunar@aidschicago.org
Jim Musselwhite (Washington)
360-570-8380
aeon97@tss.net
Robert O’Brien (Pennsylvania)
215-803-5181
Murray Penner (DC)
National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)
202-434-8099
mpenner@nastad.org
Fred Scaich (Oregon)
IFARA@attbi.com
Jerry Spillman (California)
gspillman@earthlink.net
Brian Varner (Tennessee)
Tennessee AIDS Support Services, Inc.
865-525-7766
tassi@kornet.org
