Pelosi Statement on Mayor Lee's Restoration of Funding for HIV/AIDS Care, Treatment, and Prevention
May 17, 2012 - Washington, D.C. - Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement
today after San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced that the City of San Francisco would restore $6.6 million for HIV/AIDS care,
treatment and prevention funding for FY 2012-13.
"For 25 years fighting HIV/AIDS has been one of my top priorities. San Francisco has led the way in developing a holistic
system of care for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. Today's announcement by Mayor Lee, and Supervisors Scott Weiner, David Campos, and
Christina Olague demonstrates yet again that leaders in San Francisco stand united in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
"This funding is critical to maintain local care organizations, primary care services and support services for people
living with HIV/AIDS. In the last five years alone, I have fought to prevent drastic cuts in care and treatment funds for San
Francisco - restoring nearly $21 million from cuts to San Francisco's systems of care for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Unfortunately, late last year Republicans in Congress defeated our efforts to protect against these disproportionate
and unsustainable cuts. I want to thank Mayor Lee and Supervisors Weiner, Campos, and Olague for their work
assuring that San Franciscans living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to the care they need. I will
continue to fight with them to ensure that we maintain these critical initiatives, which saved so many lives in our community."
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Background
Carefully negotiated provisions were included in the 2006 Ryan White Care Act reauthorization to protect jurisdictions receiving funding
under Title I from severe funding cuts that destabilize existing systems of care people living with HIV/AIDS rely upon for access to
medications and primary medical care. Unfortunately, flawed implementation of those protections by the Bush Administration and
Senate Republicans' obstruction of efforts to fix this flaw in the 2009 reauthorization caused severe funding cuts for
several urban areas, including San Francisco.
Since 2007, Leader Pelosi has been successful in preventing drastic cuts in Ryan White care and treatment funds for San Francisco - restoring
nearly $21 million from cuts to San Francisco's systems of care that people living with HIV/AIDS rely upon for access to medications and
primary medical care. Last year, Republicans refused to agree with Democratic efforts to restore these funds in the fiscal year 2012
omnibus appropriations funding bill.
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Source: http://pelosi.house.gov/news/press-releases/2012/05/pelosi-statement-on-mayor-lees-restoration-of-funding-for-hivaids-care-treatment-and-prevention.shtml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Contact:
Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616
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