Treatment Action Network Alert Senators Schumer and Clinton Offer New Hope for ADAPUrge Your Senators to Sign Crucial Letter in Support of $162 Million Increase
January 13, 2003 A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information! Congress has returned to work and efforts are underway to pass a final appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2003. HIV/AIDS programs such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) are currently being funded through a series of "continuing resolutions," or temporary spending bills, until Congress can negotiate a final bill.
The House of Representatives is expected to pass another continuing resolution until the end of January, to allow time for negotiating a final bill. It will then work on drafting an "omnibus" appropriations bill, which will combine all the various spending bills into one. It is expected that this bill will be negotiated by a small group, with little opportunity for most House members to debate or amend the bill. The Senate, however, is expected to pass separate appropriations bills, with opportunities for individual Senators to debate and amend the bills before they are finalized. A joint House/Senate conference committee will eventually come together to work out differences between the two versions. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) are circulating a sign-on letter to other Senators urging Senate appropriators to provide the $162 million increase for ADAP identified by experts as needed to address the current fiscal crisis in the program. If enough Senators sign this letter, it may provide a new chance to obtain a meaningful and desperately needed increase for ADAP in the final appropriations bill. What You Can DoPlease call your two U.S. Senators immediately, in their Washington, DC office. Ask to speak to the legislative staffer who handles HIV/AIDS issues. Whether you speak to that person live or leave a message, tell them:
Please act on this Alert quickly and urge your family, friends, coworkers, etc. to do the same! Contact InformationYou can reach your Senators toll-free through the Capitol switchboard toll-free at 1-800-648-3516. Ask to be transferred to their offices. Dont know who your representative is? Call 1-888-VOTE-SMART or visit www.vote-smart.org. Please forward this Alert to your friends, family, colleagues, etc. and ask them to take action! For more information, contact one of the following SAVE ADAP members:
A note from TheBody.com: The field of medicine is constantly evolving. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information! ![]()
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