World AIDS Day 2003
Earlier in the year, at the State of the Union, President Bush announced a sweeping effort to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide. He promised $15 billion over five years to help Africa and other nations hard hit by the epidemic.
Sadly, his actions have fallen far short of his rhetoric. And his unwillingness to provide similar leadership for the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic will only lead to tragic consequences.
Less than a year after President’s Bush promise of billions of dollars for Africa, Congress has already begun to cut funding. While $3 billion was promised for the first year, Congress, with the consent of the White House, has only allocated $2 billion. Promised funds needed just to keep people alive simply will not be there.
But while President Bush has the $15 billion promise as a cover for lack of an effective global HIV/AIDS policy, he has no such cover for our domestic HIV/AIDS crisis.
There are nearly 40,000 new HIV infections in the United States every year. One-third of all Americans who are HIV-positive don’t know their status.
In the District of Columbia, the President’s own backyard, it is estimated that one in every 20 adults is HIV-positive. In some wards of our nation’s capital, HIV rates rival those of sub-Saharan Africa.
And what has President Bush done to address the problem?
First, he tried to do away with the White Office of National AIDS Policy.
More recently, he has left the office of National Director of AIDS Policy vacant.
He has asked for cuts or flat funding for a number of federal HIV/AIDS programs, including the Ryan White CARE Act and the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program.
But his policies are especially destructive when it comes to HIV medications for the poor and programs to prevent new HIV infections.
HIV/AIDS medications are effective but expensive. They can cost as much as $15,000 a year. And more and more people infected with HIV live in poverty and have no health insurance.
To help the poor afford the medications they need to survive, the federal government created the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or ADAP. This program, funded with federal money and administered by the states, provides financial assistance to people living with HIV in order to buy anti viral medications.
ADAP has become an invaluable lifeline for the poor and uninsured. It has helped to guarantee that they will have the medications they need to keep them alive.
Now, however, President Bush has decided it is not worth fully funding.
Due to the record federal budget deficit, there is not enough money going to the states for ADAP. Now, many states have begun waiting lists for people who need medications.
That’s right. People living with HIV/AIDS are being told to wait. Wait an indefinite amount of time to get the medications they need just to live. Wait and see if space opens up on the list or more money is forthcoming. Wait.
And what is President Bush doing while thousands upon thousands of people wait for help?
He’s not adequately funding ADAP.
Health care experts outside the White House have said that ADAP needs an increase of $283 million in the next federal budget to alleviate the current crisis.
The White House has asked for an increase of $100 million. Nearly one-third of what is needed.
Congress, with no opposition from the White House, has approved only a $39 million increase. One-seventh of what is needed.
Clearly, President Bush’s “compassionate conservative” credo doesn’t apply to the poor and the sick.
And, while hurting treatment options for those already infected, President Bush has decided to put ideology first when it comes to preventing new HIV infections.
Prevention is the first line of defense for HIV. We know how to prevent HIV infection: abstain from sexual activity or injection drug use or use condoms or clean needles. That has been the HIV prevention message for more than 20 years.
Now, the President has decided that conservative ideology is more important than saving lives.
Since he took office, President Bush has pushed for increased funding for abstinence-only sex education programs. He wants to eliminate condom use and harm reduction methods from any school sex education curriculum or any HIV prevention programs.
This attempt to curry favor with the extreme right wing will only lead to increased infections. Not providing full information on how to prevent HIV infection is a travesty.
If our nation’s only line of defense against a chronic and often fatal disease is that all 260 million Americans will have to behave the same way for an indefinite period of time, then we truly have no defense.
Scientifically-proven methods of HIV prevention, including correct and consistent condom use, should be the national standard, not ideological purity.
Currently, more than 900,000 Americans are living with HIV/AIDS. That number grows every year. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that there is no crisis in our country.
President Bush has refused to provide effective leadership in the war against HIV/AIDS both at home and abroad. It’s time for a change in Washington.
Marti Bier, Out for Dean Texas, Texas
Chris Cooper, Out for Dean DC, Washington, DC
Tom Keller, Out for Dean St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
David Mariner, Out for Dean DC, Silver Spring, Maryland
Vannessa Lynn, Out for Dean Portland, Portland, Oregon
Alan Moghul, Ph.D., Out for Dean DC, Washington, DC
Mike Shea, Out for Dean Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
John Stiles, Out for Dean Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
Mandy Tempel, Out for Dean Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mike Weyand, Out for Dean New York City, New York, City New York
OUT for DEAN is a grassroots organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) supporters of Howard Dean for President. It is not authorized by any candidate or any candidate committee. For more information, visit our website at: www.outfordean.com.
By Out for Dean World AIDS Day Committee
© Out for Dean, All Rights Reserved
Sadly, his actions have fallen far short of his rhetoric. And his unwillingness to provide similar leadership for the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic will only lead to tragic consequences.
Less than a year after President’s Bush promise of billions of dollars for Africa, Congress has already begun to cut funding. While $3 billion was promised for the first year, Congress, with the consent of the White House, has only allocated $2 billion. Promised funds needed just to keep people alive simply will not be there.
But while President Bush has the $15 billion promise as a cover for lack of an effective global HIV/AIDS policy, he has no such cover for our domestic HIV/AIDS crisis.
There are nearly 40,000 new HIV infections in the United States every year. One-third of all Americans who are HIV-positive don’t know their status.
In the District of Columbia, the President’s own backyard, it is estimated that one in every 20 adults is HIV-positive. In some wards of our nation’s capital, HIV rates rival those of sub-Saharan Africa.
And what has President Bush done to address the problem?
First, he tried to do away with the White Office of National AIDS Policy.
More recently, he has left the office of National Director of AIDS Policy vacant.
He has asked for cuts or flat funding for a number of federal HIV/AIDS programs, including the Ryan White CARE Act and the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program.
But his policies are especially destructive when it comes to HIV medications for the poor and programs to prevent new HIV infections.
HIV/AIDS medications are effective but expensive. They can cost as much as $15,000 a year. And more and more people infected with HIV live in poverty and have no health insurance.
To help the poor afford the medications they need to survive, the federal government created the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or ADAP. This program, funded with federal money and administered by the states, provides financial assistance to people living with HIV in order to buy anti viral medications.
ADAP has become an invaluable lifeline for the poor and uninsured. It has helped to guarantee that they will have the medications they need to keep them alive.
Now, however, President Bush has decided it is not worth fully funding.
Due to the record federal budget deficit, there is not enough money going to the states for ADAP. Now, many states have begun waiting lists for people who need medications.
That’s right. People living with HIV/AIDS are being told to wait. Wait an indefinite amount of time to get the medications they need just to live. Wait and see if space opens up on the list or more money is forthcoming. Wait.
And what is President Bush doing while thousands upon thousands of people wait for help?
He’s not adequately funding ADAP.
Health care experts outside the White House have said that ADAP needs an increase of $283 million in the next federal budget to alleviate the current crisis.
The White House has asked for an increase of $100 million. Nearly one-third of what is needed.
Congress, with no opposition from the White House, has approved only a $39 million increase. One-seventh of what is needed.
Clearly, President Bush’s “compassionate conservative” credo doesn’t apply to the poor and the sick.
And, while hurting treatment options for those already infected, President Bush has decided to put ideology first when it comes to preventing new HIV infections.
Prevention is the first line of defense for HIV. We know how to prevent HIV infection: abstain from sexual activity or injection drug use or use condoms or clean needles. That has been the HIV prevention message for more than 20 years.
Now, the President has decided that conservative ideology is more important than saving lives.
Since he took office, President Bush has pushed for increased funding for abstinence-only sex education programs. He wants to eliminate condom use and harm reduction methods from any school sex education curriculum or any HIV prevention programs.
This attempt to curry favor with the extreme right wing will only lead to increased infections. Not providing full information on how to prevent HIV infection is a travesty.
If our nation’s only line of defense against a chronic and often fatal disease is that all 260 million Americans will have to behave the same way for an indefinite period of time, then we truly have no defense.
Scientifically-proven methods of HIV prevention, including correct and consistent condom use, should be the national standard, not ideological purity.
Currently, more than 900,000 Americans are living with HIV/AIDS. That number grows every year. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and pretend that there is no crisis in our country.
President Bush has refused to provide effective leadership in the war against HIV/AIDS both at home and abroad. It’s time for a change in Washington.
Marti Bier, Out for Dean Texas, Texas
Chris Cooper, Out for Dean DC, Washington, DC
Tom Keller, Out for Dean St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
David Mariner, Out for Dean DC, Silver Spring, Maryland
Vannessa Lynn, Out for Dean Portland, Portland, Oregon
Alan Moghul, Ph.D., Out for Dean DC, Washington, DC
Mike Shea, Out for Dean Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
John Stiles, Out for Dean Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
Mandy Tempel, Out for Dean Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mike Weyand, Out for Dean New York City, New York, City New York
OUT for DEAN is a grassroots organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) supporters of Howard Dean for President. It is not authorized by any candidate or any candidate committee. For more information, visit our website at: www.outfordean.com.
By Out for Dean World AIDS Day Committee
© Out for Dean, All Rights Reserved
