Congresswoman Waters Calls for National Strategy to Combat HIV/AIDS
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), a longtime leader in the U.S. House of Representatives on efforts to respond to the AIDS epidemic, today spoke at 2 events organized by HIV/AIDS advocacy groups to call for a serious national commitment to AIDS prevention and treatment.
Congresswoman Waters participated in a rally this afternoon outside the U.S. Capitol with grassroots activists from around the country attending AIDSWatch 2008, a program of the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA). Activists urged Congress and other federal policymakers to develop a national strategy to end AIDS. According to NAPWA, AIDS has claimed the lives of almost 600,000 Americans and nearly 1.5 million Americans are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
"America can – and must – do more to fight this disease and to help those who are living with HIV/AIDS," said Congresswoman Waters. "I agree with those gathered here that we need a comprehensive national strategy to end this epidemic and to address the needs of everyone in America who is affected."
Noting that one quarter of Americans living with HIV are unaware they are infected, Congresswoman Waters introduced the Routine HIV/AIDS Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 822) to require health insurance plans to cover routine HIV tests under the same terms and conditions as other routine health screenings. She also introduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 1943), which requires testing all inmates for HIV upon entering prison and again prior to their release. This legislation will help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among inmates and reduce the risk that they will infect others after their release from prison. The House passed H.R. 1943 in 2007, and it is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.
This evening Congresswoman Waters spoke at the 3rd Annual Congressional Briefing on Latinos and HIV/AIDS. The event was organized by Bienestar, a grassroots, nonprofit organization offering services in Los Angeles and other communities in southern California to reach Latinos and other groups that historically have been underserved.
"Representing a district with a large Latino population, I appreciate the efforts of Bienestar and its bilingual, bicultural approach. Unfortunately, HIV/AIDS continues to spread rapidly among minority communities. In fact, people of color now represent the majority of new AIDS cases in America, the majority of Americans living with HIV/AIDS and the majority of those who die from AIDS. I will continue to be a strong advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention, education and treatment and to make sure that the needs of minority communities are taken into consideration," Congresswoman Waters said.
Congresswoman Waters spearheaded the development of the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998 to address the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS among African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. Under her continuing leadership, funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative has increased from the initial appropriation of $156 million in Fiscal Year 1999 to approximately $400 million per year now.
"At a time when HIV/AIDS continues to take a heavy toll on our country, especially in minority communities, the President's budget proposes cutting funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative. I believe instead we must increase funding to fight this deadly disease, and I have called for $610 million in funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative this year," Congresswoman Waters said.
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