Final Decisions Pending on FY 2002 Appropriations Bill

On November 6th and 7th, the U.S. Senate passed the FY 2002 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and FY 2002 District of Columbia funding bills, respectively. Both appropriations measures include funding and language that support programs that are essential to HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and research. Members and staff of the conference committees are currently in negotiations to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills. According to congressional sources, final action on the DC Appropriations measure could come as early as this week, while floor consideration of the Labor, HHS and Education bill is not expected until next week.

FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations

Call members of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations conference committee from your state and urge them to support the highest levels of funding for all HIV/AIDS care, prevention and research programs.

AIDS Action recommends the following appropriations levels for essential HIV/AIDS programs for FY 2002:

• Ryan White CARE Act - AIDS Action supports the overall House funding level of $1.91 billion for all titles within the Ryan White CARE Act. This level is $112 million above FY 2001 and $35 million above the Senate recommended level.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - AIDS Action supports the House funding level of $1.3 billion overall, which is $533 million more than FY 2001 and includes $8.6 million more than the Senate funding levels for HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
  Advertisement
• Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative - AIDS Action supports the House funding level of $387 million for the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative to help in eliminating these HIV-related health disparities.

• National Institutes of Health - AIDS Action supports the $3.4 billion increase over FY 2001 for combined NIH research activities as contained in the Senate bill. Funding levels for disease specific research such as HIV/AIDS is not specified by either of the bills.

FY 2002 DC Appropriations

The Senate version of the FY 2002 DC Appropriations bill includes language that would permit local and private funds to be used for support of needle exchange programs in the District of Columbia, while continuing the national prohibition on the use of federal funds for needle exchange. The House language maintains the current congressionally imposed ban on federal and local funds from being used for needle exchange programs in DC. Please contact members of the DC Appropriations conference committee and urge them to support effective HIV prevention by adopting the Senate needle exchange language. This provision is crucial to the District's efforts in reducing HIV transmission in a city where it is estimated that one in every 20 residents is HIV positive.

Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Conference Committee Members
Senate Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-3254 Hollings (D-SC) 202-224-6121 Inouye (D-HI) 202-224-3934 Reid (D-NV) 202-224-3542 Kohl (D-WI) 202-224-5653 Murray (D-WA) 202-224-2621 Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824 Byrd (D-WV) 202-224-3954 Specter (R-PA) 202-224-4254 Cochran (R-MS) 202-224-5054 Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324 Craig (R-ID) 202-224-2752 Hutchison (R-TX) 202-224-5922 Stevens (R-AK) 202-224-3004 DeWine (R-OH) 202-224-2315	House Regula (R-OH) 202-225-3876 Young (R-FL) 202-225-5961 Istook (R-OK) 202-225-2132 Miller (R-FL) 202-225-5015 Wicker (R-MS) 202-225-4306 Northup (R-KY) 202-225-5401 Cunningham (R-CA) 202-225-5452 Granger (R-TX) 202-225-5071 Peterson (R-PA) 202-225-5121 Sherwood (R-PA) 202-225-3731 Obey (D-WI) 202-225-3365 Hoyer (D-MD) 202-225-4131 Pelosi (D-CA) 202-225-4965 Lowey (D-NY) 202-225-6506 DeLauro (D-CT) 202-225-3661 Jackson (D-IL) 202-225-0773 Kennedy (D-RI) 202-225-4911
District of Columbia Appropriations Conference Committee Members
Senate Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824 Durbin (D-IL) 202-224-2152 DeWine (R-OH) 202-224-2315 Hutchison (R-TX) 202-224-5922	House Knollenberg (R-MI) 202-225-5802 Istook (R-OK) 202-225-2132 Cunningham (R-CA) 202-225-5452 Doolittle (R-CA) 202-225-2511 Sweeney (R-NY) 202-225-5614 Vitter (R-LA) 202-225-3015 Fattah (D-PA) 202-225-4001 Mollohan (D-WV) 202-225-4172 Olver (D-MA) 202-225-5335