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Congresswoman Waters Urges Congressional Republicans to Support Funding for HIV/AIDS Programs at the 2012 International AIDS Conference;

July 30, 2012

Last night, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) discussed congressional support for HIV/AIDS policies and programs during a panel entitled, "Achieving the Goals of the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy: A Community Perspective," at the 2012 International AIDS Conference. The Congresswoman's remarks as prepared for delivery follow:

"The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy is based on three clear goals: 1) reducing the number of HIV infections, 2) increasing access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, and 3) reducing HIV-related health disparities. It is a comprehensive strategy that requires coordinated efforts by federal agencies and robust funding from Congress. AIDS activists from other countries should consider our strategy as a model for the development or enhancement of their own national strategies.

"The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy was developed in response to the demands of dedicated, persistent AIDS activists from all around this country, many of whom are in this room. Indeed, if it weren't for AIDS activists, there would be no national strategy.

"Before we start analyzing the implementation of the strategy, I think it is important to recognize the progress we have already made since the epidemic began 31 years ago. Our ability to prevent, diagnosis and treat HIV/AIDS has improved significantly as a result of federal health policies and programs.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes awareness and testing to reduce the spread of HIV and identify those who are infected.
  • Advances in research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have allowed people living with HIV/AIDS to live longer and more productive lives.
  • Treatment programs such as Ryan White and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) have expanded access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS who would otherwise not be able to afford it.
  • The Minority AIDS Initiative, which I developed in 1998 when I was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has begun to address HIV-related health disparities among African American, Latino, and other minority communities.
  • Finally, PEPFAR – the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – supports prevention, care and treatment in developing countries. While international programs like PEPFAR are outside of the scope of the U.S. national strategy, they are an essential part of the federal response to the global pandemic.

"The National HIV/AIDS Strategy builds on these programs, by targeting them, expanding them, and improving coordination between them. All of these programs exist because of the tireless efforts of AIDS activists over the past 30 years. So give yourselves a round of applause!

"The passage of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as health care reform, has begun the process of reforming our nation's health system so that all Americans will have access to the health care they need. Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies cannot drop you if you test positive for HIV. They cannot place lifetime limits on your coverage and, beginning in 2014, they will not be able to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition like AIDS. The Affordable Care Act also expands Medicaid to cover all low-income Americans, including many people living with HIV/AIDS who currently lack coverage.

"Unfortunately, the progress we have made against HIV/AIDS is in grave danger of being reversed. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed drastic cuts in funding for critical health programs like Ryan White, ADAP, NIH research, and CDC prevention efforts. The budget agreement the Republicans negotiated last year with the President will subject these programs to drastic across-the-board cuts (also known as sequestration), unless an agreement to avoid them is reached.

"The Ryan budget, which was passed in the House of Representatives in March, cuts all non-defense discretionary spending 8.5% below the fiscal year 2012 level. A cut of this magnitude would devastate programs that are critical for the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Ryan budget also cuts Medicaid by more than $800 billion over the next ten years and turns the program into a block grant for states. That would leave millions of low-income Americans who depend on Medicaid without access to basic health care. Fortunately, the Ryan budget cannot pass the Senate, but it is an accurate reflection of the priorities of congressional Republicans.

"The Republicans have been trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act ever since it was signed into law. They have voted over 30 times in the House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They tried unsuccessfully to have the entire law declared unconstitutional, and they are trying to prevent the law's implementation by defunding it. This would leave countless Americans with pre-existing conditions like AIDS unable to obtain health insurance. Moreover, following the decision of the Supreme Court to make Medicaid expansion optional, several Republican governors have announced their states would rather leave low-income Americans without access to health care than participate in Medicaid expansion.

"Now I know there may be Republicans in this room. And that's a good thing, because we need Republicans to support our efforts. Over the years, there have been a number of Republicans who have supported HIV/AIDS programs. PEPFAR, for example, was established by President Bush.

"But the Republican Party today has come to be dominated by Tea Party extremists who don't believe the government should have anything to do with public health policy. Consequently, many of the Republicans who publicly supported HIV/AIDS programs in the past are now reluctant to do so. For example, Republican Members of Congress who signed my appropriations requests for the Minority AIDS Initiative or cosponsored the Stop AIDS in Prison Act in previous Congresses have refrained from doing so since 2011.

"We need to tell our Republican friends in Congress to stand up to the extremists in their midst and support the HIV/AIDS programs they've supported in the past. And we need to tell everyone in Congress not to balance the budget on the backs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

"Lobbying is essential, but it is not enough. Sometimes, we need to yell to get our message across. We need to organize in our communities. We need to educate our neighbors about public policy. We need to demonstrate. We need to protest. We need to march. We need to act up! Now is not the time to relax. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels.

We must rededicate ourselves to the challenges ahead. We must confront Members of Congress and tell them to support HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment because no one should have to die of this preventable and treatable disease! We must demand full implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. We must demand Medicaid expansion in every state so that all low-income Americans have access to health care. We must demand full implementation of the Affordable Care Act so that no one will ever be denied health insurance because of a positive test for HIV. We must demand full funding of domestic and international HIV/AIDS research, prevention, care, and treatment! And we must never give up until we completely eradicate this disease!"

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Congresswoman Waters is sponsoring several initiatives in the 112th Congress to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, testing and treatment.

  1. Expanding the Minority AIDS Initiative: Congresswoman Waters continues her efforts to expand the Minority AIDS Initiative, which she established as Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1998 to expand HIV awareness, testing, and treatment among racial and ethnic minorities, who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Initiative received $416 million in fiscal year 2012, the same amount as in fiscal year 2011 and more than any previous year. On March 15, 2012, Congresswoman Waters wrote a letter to congressional appropriators requesting $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative for fiscal year 2013 to ensure that the Initiative has the resources needed to combat the AIDS epidemic in these communities. A total of 59 Members of Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter.

  1. Preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Federal prisons: Congresswoman Waters reintroduced the Stop AIDS in Prison Act (H.R. 3547), which was passed by the House of Representatives on March 17, 2009, but was not taken up by the Senate prior to the adjournment of the 111th Congress. This bill requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to test all prison inmates for HIV, unless the inmate opts out of taking the test. The bill also requires HIV/AIDS prevention education for all inmates and comprehensive treatment for those who test positive. The bill is cosponsored by 36 of her colleagues.

  1. Requiring health insurance plans to cover HIV screening: Congresswoman Waters reintroduced the Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 4470). This bill requires health insurance plans to cover routine HIV tests as preventive health screenings without imposing co-payments or deductibles and therefore enables more Americans to be tested for HIV. About 20% of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States do not know they are infected. Routine HIV screening would allow them to learn of their status and begin treatment. This bill has 40 cosponsors.

  1. Promoting HIV screening: On November 17, 2011, Congresswoman Waters sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, urging her to include routine annual screening for HIV in the Essential Health Benefits package under the Affordable Care Act. A total of 54 Members of Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter.

5. Encouraging involvement by clinicians: Congresswoman Waters introduced a resolution (H.Res. 737) in honor of the fifth annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. The resolution urges doctors, nurses, dentists and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services. It also urges individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. This resolution was cosponsored by 16 of her colleagues in Congress.