There seems to be a significant–and hopefully growing–degree of displeasure on Capitol Hill about the Administration’s commitment to combating the AIDS epidemic. The latest signal is a letter from eight U.S. senators, including the Senate’s No. 2 leader, urging the president fully fund PEPFAR at the congressionally-authorized levels.
“The success of our HIV/AIDS programs is potentially compromised by a proposed slow-down in the pace of funding,” reads the Senate letter, spearheaded by Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, and also signed by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, D-Ill., among others. “We cannot afford to lose momentum in our fight against” HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria or to pull back from the expanded mandate set out in the Lantos-Hyde Act that reauthorized PEPFAR.
Here’s a link to the full letter: Boxer-Isakson letter on FY 11
The Senate missive comes on the heels of a similar letter to Obama from five key House members, including the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Click here to read that letter and our blog post about it.
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