PI Action alerts & updates ... 2004

During the August Recess
Ask Your Elected Officials to Save ADAP

From July 26–September 6, Congress will be on its “August recess”. This is a time when U.S. House Representatives and Senators leave Washington, DC and are back in their districts and states. Many use this time to meet with their constituents, through district legislative visits, town hall meetings, and/or campaign events if they are running for reelection.

This is an excellent opportunity to talk with your Representative/Senators about the need for adequate funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and other HIV/AIDS programs. Face-to-face discussions are one of the most effective ways of influencing our elected officials, as they demonstrate how an issue like AIDS affects their district and state. They are particularly important during an election year, when legislators want to show that they are responsive to the needs of their constituents and voters.

Now is the time to keep up the momentum and let Congress know that we expect leadership on ADAP and other HIV/AIDS issues. Here are some ways you can get involved during the August recess.

1. Organize a meeting
in the district office of your U.S. Representative and/or Senators. This is much easier than it might seem and can be a very positive and productive experience. Now is the time to schedule a meeting in August. Go here for a fact sheet on how to schedule and organize a successful district visitl.

If you schedule a meeting, please let SAVE ADAP know, by emailing Ryan Clary at rclary@projectinform.org. We can provide background information on the ADAP crisis, and in early August we will have fact sheets for each state's ADAP.

2. Find out if your Representative/Senator
is hosting a town-hall meeting
during the August recess. They often hold such events to brief their constituents on what they've been doing in Washington and to get input and feedback. It is a great opportunity to ask them for leadership on HIV/AIDS issues in a public environment. Call their district office and ask if any meetings are being scheduled in August. If you aren't sure who represents you, go to www.vote-smart.org and enter your zip code.

SAVE ADAP is available to help you with opportunities to talk to your Members of Congress. If you have any questions or need more information, email rclary@projectinform.org and one of us will be in touch.

The Save ADAP Committee is a Working Group of the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC), a national coalition of AIDS treatment activists and policy advocates. Working in conjunction with ADAP clients and service providers on the grassroots level, Save ADAP aims to ensure adequate funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. For more information go to www.atac-usa.org/adap.html. To receive SAVE ADAP Alerts via email, send an email to saveadap@hotmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject field.