Urge Your U.S. Representative to Sign Letter Supporting HIV/AIDS Funding

President Bush's proposed HIV/AIDS budget for FY 2003 includes no increase in funding for care and treatment programs funded through the Ryan White CARE Act, HIV prevention services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. The Congressional Budget Office is projecting increases in the cost of healthcare to average 7.2% a year over the next 10 years. These projected increases dramatically increase the costs of the same health care services, without taking into account any greater health care needs. Therefore, level funding guarantees a loss of services for hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. In addition, funding for local HIV/AIDS programs to address the needs of thousands of infected and at-risk individuals in underserved regions in this country is grossly inadequate and must be increased to effectively address the epidemic.

Congress is beginning the FY 2003 appropriations process to determine its recommendations for funding levels for all HIV/AIDS programs. Your organization can have a significant impact on increasing desperately needed funds for HIV/AIDS care, treatment, prevention, research and housing programs.

Representatives Connie Morella (R-MD) and William Delahunt (D-MA) have taken a leadership role by circulating a sign-on letter to their colleagues in the House of Representatives supporting adequate increases for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, research and housing programs, including the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. This letter will be sent to the Chair, Rep. Regula (R-OH), and Ranking Member, Rep. Obey (D-WI), of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. This Subcommittee will be the first group of Representatives to consider HIV/AIDS funding levels for these programs.

It is important that as many U.S. Representatives as possible sign this letter so that Congress is reminded that HIV remains a top priority. You can help with this effort by urging your Representative to sign onto this important letter! The deadline for members of Congress to sign on has been extended to 12 PM (EST) on Monday, April 22nd.

Please call your U.S. Representative and ask for their signature on the letter supporting funding increases for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, research and housing programs being circulated by Representatives Morella and Delahunt. Inform them of the successes your organization has had in their districts due to federal funding and the challenges you continue to face due to funding shortfalls.

If members are interested in signing onto the letter, the staff contacts are: Lisa Boepple in Representative Morella's office and Julie Carr in Representative Delahunt's office. The deadline for signatures is now 12 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on Monday, April 22nd.

If you do not know who your member of Congress is or how to contact them, you can find out by going to the AIDS Action Web site at www.aidsaction.org and visiting the Legislative Action Center or by calling the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Take AIDS Action

Please contact your member of Congress and tell them to support the funding increases for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and research programs by signing the letter to Appropriators being circulated by Representatives Morella and Delahunt.