Congressional Briefs: HIV/AIDS, Health Care and Civil Rights

Nov. 2, 2009, 12 a.m. - Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement after President Obama signed The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act:

“This legislation makes vital investments in care and treatment services to ensure that Americans living with HIV and AIDS can maintain the highest quality of life while supporting prevention and outreach programs to help to protect those who are at risk of getting infected.

“Because of the leadership of members of the Congressional Black Caucus, this bill will bolster the Minority AIDS Initiative by reestablishing a formula based grant system, requiring a GAO study to capture the successes of the MAI across all applicable federal agencies, and a subsequent department wide plan by HHS to ensure that the program will function as it was intended. Additionally, the CBC took a lead in ensuring the bill will address the HIV/AIDS needs and services for ex-offenders and their families.

“Tragically, racial and ethnic minorities – especially women – and young gay men are facing the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act is a positive step toward doing a better job of protecting those who are most at risk, while taking care of those who are already infected.

“I also applaud the Administration for lifting the travel HIV/AIDS travel band, a policy that was unjust and discriminatory. For many years, I have fought to end this practice, and doing so lends credibility to our nation’s efforts to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Congresswoman Lee Applauds Obama Administration Decision to Lift HIV Travel Ban

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement applauding Obama’s decision to formally repeal the United States travel and immigration restrictions on people living with HIV, which was published in the Federal Register. Congresswoman Lee sent a letter to the International AIDS Society (IAS) encouraging them to quickly reach a decision regarding the United States as the host nation of the XXIX International AIDS Conference in 2012.

“Today’s action finally clears away the last vestiges of an unjust and discriminatory policy that has prevented the IAS from holding an International AIDS Conference in the United States for the past 19 years.

“I believe that ending this policy is long overdue, and will lend greater credibility to U.S. foreign assistance efforts to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Particularly, it will aid in combating the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, and further erode discriminatory travel and immigration policies in other countries.

“With the lifting of this ban, it is my hope that the International AIDS Society will strongly consider hosting their 2012 International AIDS Conference in the United States. If chosen to host this critical event, the United States would be given an extraordinary opportunity to highlight our commitment to addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to help contextualize the U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic on a global stage.

“I applaud the Administration for taking this critical step to end this outdated travel ban.”

Barbara Lee Releases Statement Following Meeting with President Obama on Health Care

Lee released this statement following a meeting with President Obama on health care.

“This is a truly historic time in our country. Today, we are closer to comprehensive health care reform than we have ever been in the past 70 years.

“I applaud our leadership for their efforts to unveil the current bill. While I have worked with my colleagues consistently to include a public option in this bill there is still work to do. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to ensure that the final package has the strongest public option and health equity provisions possible.

“A public option is essential to ensuring coverage of as many uninsured Americans as possible, as well as cost containment provisions to limit increased premiums for the 85 percent of Americans who currently have health insurance.

“In our meeting with President Obama I emphasized the importance of having the public option remain in the final bill to come out of conference. Additionally, it is important to keep every existing health equity provision intact. The Office of Minority Health should receive the same prioritization that the Office of Women’s Health is set to receive, especially given the data on racial and ethnic health disparities.

“More than 70 percent of Americans support health care reform with a public option, therefore we have a moral obligation to provide them with the choice and accountability that a public plan would provide.”

REPRESENTATIVE FUDGE JOINS LEADERSHIP IN LAUNCHING NEW AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) joined Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Democratic Whip Clyburn and other Members of Congress in launching the new, blended America's Affordable Health Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962).

She was joined by Mrs. Jodie Miller, a Maryland mother who conceived triplets through in vitro fertilization. The Millers were later denied health coverage because their insurance company declared that they had pre-existing conditions; infertility and spousal infertility, respectively. America's Affordable Health Care Act will outlaw such discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Rep. Fudge stated, “America's Affordable Health Care Act will make gender rating illegal. Never again will insurance companies be able to deny women coverage for c-sections, because we are pregnant, or because we are victims of domestic violence. Never again will insurance companies be able to deny us coverage just for being women.”

Butterfield Applauds Health Insurance Reform Revisions

Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded the revised health insurance reform legislation put forward by the House.

“The health insurance market is broken and in immediate need of reform,” Butterfield said. “Under the current system, private health insurance companies are increasingly consolidating, finding more ways to stand between patients and their doctors, and focused on boosting profits instead of affordable, quality, patient-focused health care. As a result the number of uninsured Americans has grown to 47 million and premiums have risen over 120 percent in the past decade for those who do have coverage.”

Butterfield also said that he is pleased that the bill includes a public option.

REP. JOHN LEWIS AND ATTACKER RECEIVE COMMON GROUND AWARD

Rep. John Lewis and Elwin Wilson, the man who attacked him at a bus depot in Rock Hill, SC received the Common Ground award at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. This honor, given by Search for Common Ground, is awarded to people who have made significant contributions to bridging divides between people, finding solutions to seemly intractable problems, and providing inspiration and hope to many.

Former honorees included Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, President Jimmy Carter, former Senator George Mitchell, Muhammad Ali, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, broadcaster Charlie Rose, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the Daniel Pearl Foundation.

In May 1961 Elwin Wilson was part of a mob that attacked John Lewis and other Freedom Riders for entering the waiting area of a bus station in Rock Hill, SC marked “Whites Only.” Forty-eight years later, in January 2009, the men met again, this time in John Lewis’s congressional office. Wilson expressed remorse for his life-long racial hatred and for having participated in beating Lewis. Lewis accepted the apology and offered his forgiveness.

Elwin Hope Wilson has lived in Rock Hill, South Carolina for most of his life. He served in the U.S. Army, and worked as a welder and heavy equipment officer for many years. Wilson, who once took part in KKK activities, now speaks out against racial bigotry and intolerance.

“Reconciliation was the overriding purpose of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Lewis. “It was our goal not only to attain civil rights, equal rights, and voting rights for African Americans and others who were disenfranchised, but to usher in a new day. We wanted to help build a nation based on simple justice that respected the dignity and the worth of every individual. In order to do that we realized we had to find a way to live with each other, find a way to make peace with each other. Forgiveness and reconciliation go hand in hand with this concept.

“I was gratified when Elwin Wilson said he wanted to meet me and apologize. In all my years, no one who has ever attacked me has offered an olive branch. What he did took courage, and I respect his continued efforts to try to heal the divide caused by racial hatred and violence.”

Cummings Lauds Aggressive Action By Feinberg, Protecting Taxpayers

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings applauded the efforts of Kenneth Feinberg, the Treasury Department's special master for compensation, as he attempted to hold executives accountable at seven companies saved from economic ruin by taxpayer funding.

Feinberg's ruling lowers compensation for 175 employees at these companies by an average of 50 percent. The highest-paid 25 employees of each company will see cuts, including up to 90 percent on salaries. Mr. Feinberg also demanded major governance changes for the firms, which were given taxpayer aid when it was feared their collapse could irreparably harm the U.S. economy.

"Mr. Feinberg has done outstanding job," said Cummings. "These compensation practices continue to abuse taxpayers with their own money. These companies used every inch of the economic loopholes they found to damage our nation. I encourage, and demand, that Mr. Feinberg continue to exercise every inch of his authority to ensure accountability. He is there for one reason, to protect every last dollar given as corporate welfare, and to stop the abuse by Wall Street fat cats."

Cummings continued, echoing a plea made by millions of Americans who have witnessed the excess of those who received taxpayer-funded bailouts, "This must be a time when we ensure that regulatory reform proposals move swiftly through Congress, protecting Americans from corporate excesses and never again letting corporate greed and wrongdoing hold taxpayers and the economy hostage."

Cummings is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, and has used this position to hold hearings into multiple instances of abuse of the public trust by corporations involved in the recent economic downturn.

Barbara Lee Supports Extension of Ryan White Act

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) voted in support of S. 1793, The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. This legislation makes investments in care and treatment services to ensure that Americans living with HIV and AIDS can maintain the highest quality of life while supporting prevention and outreach programs to help to protect those who are at risk of getting infected. The measure passed the House by a vote of 408-9. She released this statement.

“HIV/AIDS is devastating the United States. Tragically, young gay men, and minorities are facing the brunt of this epidemic. We must do a better job of protecting those who are most at risk, while taking care of those who are already infected. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act is a positive step in that direction.

“Specifically, this bill will strengthen the Minority AIDS Initiative by moving it back to a formula based grant system, requiring a GAO study, and a subsequent department wide plan by HHS to ensure that the program will function as it was intended.

“Now that we have passed this legislation, we must provide the funding to carry out these worthy programs. While the bill allows for a yearly increase of 5 percent each year, we can and should provide more. I’m pleased that the President is developing a National AIDS Strategy to guide our response to this epidemic. I believe that we need a domestic PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program that matches our global efforts to combat this epidemic.

“Additionally, we must support and advance public health interventions that we know have been proven to work - needle exchange, comprehensive sex education, and as well dealing with the very real epidemic of HIV/AIDS in our prison systems.

“I recognize that this bill is indeed a compromise, but I want to be clear that I personally believe there are still many things that we can and must do to properly fight this disease in the United States and to truly stamp out HIV/AIDS from the face of the earth."

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Receives Congressional Legislator of the Year Award

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Alameda County (HCCAC) named Lee (CA-09) its Congressional Legislator of the Year for 2009. The award was presented during the chamber’s 30th Anniversary Gala at the Oakland Airport Hilton on Oct. 23, 2009.

The HCCAC honored Lee for her “pioneering leadership in this country on issues affecting America’s consumers.” She was honored for her role in expanding opportunities for local businesses and for her assistance in securing federal procurements and grant opportunities. Congresswoman Lee “exemplifies the highest ideals for all Americans, especially the poor in this country,” the HCCAC said.

Lee said she was grateful to receive this award on the occasion of HCCAC’s 30th Anniversary.

“I am truly humbled to be recognized as the Hispanic Chamber’s Congressional Legislator of the Year,” Lee said. “For the past three decades, the Hispanic Chamber has worked to nurture and foster business growth in the Hispanic community and throughout the 9th Congressional District.

“I am honored to be recognized by an organization that is so committed to the constituents in my district. I have had the great privilege of working in partnership with the Hispanic Chamber over the years, and I have worked tirelessly to provide the support necessary to ensure that it has the resources needed to support its members. I look forward to continuing this collaboration in the future.”