PI Action alerts & updates ... 2004
Opportunity Exists for Emergency ADAP Supplemental
Urge Your Members of Congress to SAVE ADAP!
In the next few days, Congress will consider an emergency supplemental
appropriations bill requested by the Bush Administration. This bill
will provide immediate funding for Homeland Security and other programs
such as NASA and agriculture. Because it is an election year, many
Members of Congress will likely attempt to secure emergency funding
for other programs important to their constituents.
This provides an opportunity to urge Congress to add an emergency
supplemental appropriation for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program
(ADAP) to this bill. ADAPs continue to be in crisis around the country
with many states forced to create waiting lists for lifesaving drugs.
While President Bush announced in June a special $20 million program
to provide drugs for those on waiting list, this program has not
yet been implemented. Meanwhile, the ADAP crisis rolls on.
This year, 25 Senators signed a bipartisan letter in support of
an emergency supplemental appropriation of $122 million for ADAP.
This means that there is a chance that one of these Senators will
try to attach ADAP funding to the emergency supplemental bill.
You can help by taking a few minutes to call your Senators and
Representative and urge them to SAVE ADAP.
What you can do:
Call your two U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative in their Washington,
DC office as soon as possible. This opportunity will not last long.
Ask to speak to the staffperson who handles HIV/AIDS and healthcare
issues. Whether you speak to that person or leave a message, tell
them:
Sample message:
“I am calling to urge Senator/Representative
_______________ to support an emergency supplemental appropriation
of no less than $122 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program
as part of any upcoming emergency funding bill. This program is
in crisis nationwide and this funding is needed to make sure people
with HIV/AIDS have access to lifesaving treatment.”
You can reach your Senators and Representative by calling the Capitol
Switchboard toll-free at 1-800-839-5276. You'll need to know who
represents you in order to be transferred. If you don't know who
your Representative/Senators are, go to www.vote-smart.org.
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.
