Action Needed to Preserve and Protect FY '98 Funding Increases for Prevention, Research, and Care

Full House Appropriations Committee Action

As we reported on Tuesday, the House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee voted on its FY'98 bill. The bill will be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee for consideration and a vote on July 22 - much earlier than what we reported in our prior ALERT.

We expect that hostile amendments will be offered at that time. Rep. Istook (R-OK) may offer an amendment transferring prevention funding to diabetes prevention. Rep. Wicker (R-MS) may offer an amendment removing the HHS Secretary's authority to lift the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs.

Your calls are needed to your representatives on the full House Appropriations committee. The increases to AIDS programs provided by the Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee must be protected and the authority of the HHS Secretary to lift the ban on needle exchange must not be removed.

Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Action

The subcommittee will be meeting on July 22nd or 23rd to mark-up and vote on its version of the FY '98 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill. Your calls are also needed to your Senators today to urge them to support increases in and to protect funding for prevention, care, training, and research. Tell your Senator what your community needs to meet the demands of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in your area.

We have not confirmed that hostile amendments will be offered in the Senate. However, you should ask your Senator to oppose any attempts to transfer AIDS funding to other accounts and to protect the HHS Secretary's authority to lift the ban on needle exchange.

AIDS Action:

Phone/fax your members in the House of Representatives and Senate. Urge your representative in the House to:

• Support and protect the increases for AIDS programs that were provided in the FY '98 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill passed by the Subcommittee.

Urge your Senator to:

• Support increases for all AIDS programs in the FY '98 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill.

Urge both your Senator and Representative to:

• Oppose any attempts to eliminate or decrease funding for these critical programs.



• Oppose any attempt to transfer funding from HIV Prevention and Research to other accounts.



• Vote NO on any amendment to remove the Secretary of HHS's authority to lift the ban on needle exchange.

If your Representative is on the full House Appropriations Committee, it is very important that you contact them. If your Representative is not on the committee, ask them to contact Rep. Livingston (R-IL), Chairman of the Committee and Rep. Obey (D-WI), Ranking Minority Member, with their support for the increases in funding and opposition to cuts and any amendment on needle exchange. If your Senator is on the Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, it is very important that you contact them. If your Senator is not on the subcommittee, ask them to contact Senator Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Subcommittee, and Senator Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Minority Member, with their support for increasing funding and opposition to cuts and any amendment on needle exchange.

Capitol Hill Operator: 202-224-3121

Call and ask to be connected to your member of Congress' office.

For information, contact:
José Zuñiga
AIDS Action Council
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW #700
Washington DC 20009
202-986-1300, extension 3042
202-986-1345 (fax)
202-332-9614 (tty)
E-Mail: aidsaction@aidsaction.org