Action alerts, global and domestic AIDS budget

[Guest guest]

Dear colleagues -- attached please find two action alerts, one for Iowa and

one for the whole US, dealing with the domestic and global AIDS budget.

Note that the chair of the House Budget Committee will hold public meetings

in his district in Iowa next week! Please urge members of your group to act

on this right away. Thank you!

Bryden

Here is the plain text of each:

February 17, 2005

Action Alert! Contact Congress Today!

Congress Considering the Budget for AIDS Programs

We need Congress to Fully Fund AIDS Programs in the US -- and Do its Fair

Share to Support Programs around the World!

Members of Congress Back in Home Districts all Next Week - Call Now to Make

an Appointment!

ISSUE: President Bush has delivered his fiscal year 2006 budget proposal to

Congress. It includes a cut to US support for one of the most cost-effective

programs, the Global Fund, which is fighting AIDS in 127 countries. He also

proposes cuts to programs fighting malaria and TB (TB is a major killer of

people with AIDS).

He also proposes major cuts to AIDS programs in the US, including to the

Minority AIDS Initiative, even though the need is increasing! Note: HIV

cases are soaring among black women, and AIDS is among the three top causes

of death for black women in the US ages 35 to 44.

Congress can fix these problems, but only if we raise our voices loud and

clear! Does calling Congress change things? Yes, it does. When complaints

are loud enough, Congress has increased spending. Note that funding for AIDS

programs in the US and funding for AIDS programs in poor countries come out

of different pots. Increases in international spending do not mean cuts to

domestic AIDS programs. Both can and should be increased.

The budget will now be considered by the House and Senate Budget Committees.

Later, in the spring, the Appropriations Committees will consider the

specific funding levels for domestic and global AIDS programs. Members of

these Committees are very important, but please contact your legislators

whether they are on these committees or not.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

You do not have to be an expert to contact Congress, and it DOES make a

difference.

Email, fax and call your Senators and your Representative to urge they do

the right thing.

It takes just a minute or two! Call right now, 202-224-3121. Ask for your

members' legislative aides who handles foreign aid issues. Then ask to be

transferred to the person who handles domestic AIDS issues (it is usually a

different staffer). Send an email via http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.org

You can go the extra mile for kids by getting people at your school or your

church or other religious group to send their letters too and make calls.

Do it as a group and make it fun! Why not create a petition at your church,

gather signatures and then fax it in.

You can meet with staff at the offices of members of Congress that are

located in your area. You can even meet with members of Congress themselves

while they are in your area and holding local office hours (such as during

the Presidents Day District Work Period next week).

If your members of Congress are on the Budget or Appropriations Committees

they are especially critical - we must persuade them! (Also critical are

House and Senate leadership.) You will find the lists of members of these

Committees here:

http://www.house.gov and http://www.senate.gov

SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO SAY: " I am concerned about the budget for AIDS and

other health programs. Let's be the compassionate nation the President says

we should be! Please support a level of funding for international programs

that allows for $1.5 billion for the Global Fund. Otherwise we will break

our nation's promise to fully support the Global Fund. Plus, the budget must

permit full funding of bilateral Tb, malaria and child survival programs.

The domestic programs budget should allow for increases, not the proposed

cuts, for prevention programs here at home and for programs that help people

who are living with AIDS. This is a great nation, and we can afford to do

all these things. If we meet these issues head on now, we will save money in

the long run! "

Sample letter to the US Congress (appropriate for either the House or the

Senate):

It's best to personalize and then email or fax your letter. The mail in

Washington is very slow due to security issues. Not sure who your

representatives in Washington are? Just visit this handy directory, where

you will also find fax numbers:

http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.com/directory/index.asp

You can email them this letter via these sites:

http://www.house.gov or http://www.senate.gov

Dear Member of Congress:

I am concerned about the budget for AIDS and other health programs. Let's be

the compassionate nation the President says we should be!

Please support a level of funding for international programs that allows for

$1.5 billion for the Global Fund. Otherwise we will break our nation's

promise to fully support the Global Fund. Plus, the budget must permit full

funding of bilateral Tb, malaria and child survival programs. These funds

need to be appropriated for 2006, so we need your leadership on this!

The budget should allow for full funding of programs that help people here

at home who are living with AIDS. The proposed cuts to AIDS and health

programs in the US are unacceptable and unnecessary. This is a great nation,

and we can afford to fund these life-saving programs. If we meet these

issues head on now, we will save money in the long run!

Sincerely,

Name:____________ Address:_____________________

BACKGROUND:

The US can afford to do its fair share to support effective AIDS programs,

while also supporting other programs that help poor countries and programs

to improve health in the US. $6.7 billion is what's needed for the US to

provide its fair share of an effective global response to AIDS, TB and

malaria. That's a tiny fraction of the US budget!

The budget that President Bush has proposed for 2006 includes an increase in

funding for international programs, but this does not mean the US will give

its full contribution to the Global Fund. Nearly half the increase (of $3.1

billion) is aimed at the Millennium Challenge Account. The budget does

specify $300 million for the Global Fund, but that's only 20% of a fair

share US contribution towards what the Fund needs in 2006. The budget

proposes cuts to US tuberculosis and malaria programs. The President also

proposes unacceptable cuts in international child survival programs

(infectious diseases, child and maternal health, and family planning

programs, and more).

Why is the Global Fund important and why does it need $1.5 billion from the

US?

.. The Global Fund operates like a foundation. Countries apply for

funding for AIDS, Tb and malaria programs and private groups (including

churches) are involved in the process. Then, these applications are

scrutinized by a panel of experts. There are multiple checks to make sure

funds are properly used.

.. The Fund's resources are saving lives right now, in 127 countries.

Thanks to the Fund, 130,000 people are receiving life-saving AIDS

medication, more than one million people have been tested and received

counseling, and 385,000 people are receiving TB treatment (TB is a major

killer of people living with AIDS). 1.3 million insecticide-treated mosquito

nets have been distributed (Malaria kills an African child every 30

seconds).

.. The Fund helps make sure greater resources can be absorbed and used

effectively. 20% of its resources go to human resources, 13% to physical

infrastructure, 6% to monitoring and evaluation.

.. Many of the grants from the Fund will soon expire. The programs that

received the funds have to reapply to get the grants renewed. But the Fund

does not have the money to renew the grants and programs might have to shut

down, even though people will die if they do not get the medications these

programs provide. That's one reason why the Fund will be in severe trouble

if the US does not keep its promises. In 2006 the Fund will need $800

million from the US just to help fund grant renewals.

.. The world can and should defeat AIDS, TB and malaria, not just

reduce these problems somewhat. But that requires expanding effective

programs globally. The Fund will need $700 million from the US to help fund

programs that would be getting their grants for the first time. When the US

gives its fair share other countries are more likely to give their fair

share too. So far, for every dollar the US provides other countries have

given two.

Cuts to domestic AIDS programs:

For the US, the President's proposed budget reduces funding for AIDS

prevention through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It

continues a pattern of flat funding for many other critical domestic

programs. The budget includes a small increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance

Program, but it is much less than either drug price increases for existing

ADAP clients or what is needed to provide for increased numbers of people

needing AIDS drugs. The rest of the White Comprehensive AIDS Resources

Emergency (CARE) Act and the Minority AIDS Initiative programs receive no

increase, even though need is escalating. Proposed cuts to Medicaid will

also impact people living with AIDS, and implementation of the Medicare

Modernization Act will limit access to life-saving treatment for some

100,000 people living with HIV who are dually-eligible for Medicaid and

Medicare. All these programs are all important components of our fight

against AIDS. HIV cases are soaring among black women, and AIDS is among the

three top causes of death for black women in the US ages 35 to 44.

Global AIDS Alliance 1225 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 401 Washington, D.C.,

20036

Tel: 202-296-0260 ext. 211 Fax: 202-296-0261 info@...

www.globalaidsalliance.org

============

February 17, 2005

All Iowans Take Action! Urge Representative Nussle to Support Full Funding

for AIDS Programs

Nussle to hold open, local meetings with constituents Feb 23rd & 25th

ISSUE: The President has delivered his fiscal year 2006 budget proposal to

Congress. This budget will now be considered by a Committee led by Rep. Jim

Nussle of Iowa. The fate of millions of people rests in Rep. Nussle's

hands. Last year Rep. Nussle favored cuts to the President's proposed

spending for international programs (after complaints from constituents he

reversed his position). Now, we need him to approve a budget that permits

the kind of spending needed to think big, really tackle the global killers

AIDS, Tb and malaria, and not just make these problems less bad. We also

need him to support full funding for AIDS programs in the US.

TAKE ACTION: Wherever you live in Iowa, make sure Rep. Nussle knows where

you stand. (He may be running for Governor in the future, so anyone in Iowa

can have an impact.) Call, fax and email his office, and got to a public

forum in his district to convey your views in person. Nussle will hold

open, local meetings with constituents Feb 23rd and 25th. You do not have to

be an expert, just someone who cares! Making a call takes just a few

minutes! Go the extra mile and collect signatures on a petition at your

church, temple or university, then fax it to his office!

CONTACT: Call 202-225-2911 and ask for Bliley. Also call

202-226-7270 and ask for Rich Meade or Brett Coulson. Tell them you are

calling from Iowa. Fax a letter to Nussle's office via 202-225-9129. Send

an email on the web: http://nussle.house.gov/email.htm

WHAT TO SAY: " I am calling from Iowa, and I am concerned about the budget

for AIDS and other health programs. Let's be the compassionate nation the

President says we should be! Please support a level of funding for

international programs that allows for $1.5 billion for the Global Fund.

Otherwise we will break our nation's promise to fully support the Global

Fund. Plus, the budget must permit full funding of bilateral Tb, malaria

and child survival programs. The budget should allow for full funding of

programs that help people here at home who are living with AIDS. This is a

great nation, and we can afford to do all these things. If we meet these

issues head on now, we will save money in the long run! "

Background:

Last year, religious leaders, students and community members urged Chairman

Nussle reverse his support for a reduction in overall spending international

programs. This appeal worked. Nussle spokesman Spicer acknowledged

that Nussle agreed to come closer to the Senate funding number (about $3

billion higher) partly because of his constituents' complaints. Thanks to

everyone in Iowa for this!!

The budget that President Bush has proposed for 2006 includes an increase in

funding for international programs, but this does not mean the US will give

its full contribution to the Global Fund. Nearly half the increase (of $3.1

billion) is aimed at the Millennium Challenge Account. The budget does

specify $300 million for the Global Fund, but that's only 20% of a fair

share US contribution towards what the Fund needs in 2006. The budget

proposes cuts to US tuberculosis and malaria programs. The President also

proposes unacceptable cuts in child survival programs (infectious diseases,

child and maternal health, and family planning programs, and more).

Why is the Global Fund important and why does it need $1.5 billion from the

US?

.. The Global Fund operates like a foundation. Countries apply for

funding for AIDS, Tb and malaria programs and private groups (including

churches) are involved in the process. Then, these applications are

scrutinized by a panel of experts. There are multiple checks to make sure

funds are properly used.

.. The Fund's resources are saving lives right now, in 127 countries.

Thanks to the Fund, 130,000 people are receiving life-saving AIDS

medication, more than one million people have been tested and received

counseling, and 385,000 people are receiving TB treatment (TB is a major

killer of people living with AIDS). 1.3 million insecticide-treated mosquito

nets have been distributed.

.. Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds. In Tanzania, for

instance, there are 16 million cases of malaria each year, contributing to

approximately 80,000 deaths annually of children under the age of five. But,

a Global Fund grant of US$12 million payable over two years makes possible a

program to ensure 90 percent of pregnant women will have access to

subsidized insecticide-treated, locally-produced nets!

.. Many of the grants from the Fund will soon expire, and the programs

that received them have to reapply to get the grants renewed. But the Fund

does not have the money to renew the grants and programs might have to shut

down, even though people will die if they do not get the medications these

programs provide. That's one reason why the Fund will be in severe trouble

if the US does not keep its promises. In 2006 the Fund will need $800

million from the US just to help fund grant renewals.

.. The world can and should defeat AIDS, TB and malaria, not just

reduce these problems somewhat. But that requires expanding effective

programs globally. The Fund will need $700 million from the US to help fund

programs that would be getting their grants for the first time. When the US

gives its fair share other countries are more likely to give their fair

share too. So far, for every dollar the US provides other countries have

given two.

Cuts to AIDS programs in the US:

The President's proposed budget reduces funding for AIDS prevention through

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It continues a pattern of

flat funding for many other critical domestic programs. The budget includes

a small increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, but it is much less

than either drug price increases for existing ADAP clients or what is needed

to provide for increased numbers of people needing AIDS drugs. The rest of

the White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act and the

Minority AIDS Initiative programs receive no increase, even though need is

escalating. Proposed cuts to Medicaid will also impact people living with

AIDS, and implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act will limit access

to life-saving treatment for some 100,000 people living with HIV who are

dually-eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. All these programs are all

important components of our fight against AIDS.HIV cases are soaring among

black women, and AIDS is among the three top causes of death for black women

in the US ages 35 to 44.

Global AIDS Alliance 1225 Connecticut Ave, NW Suite 401 Washington, D.C.,

20036

Tel: 202-296-0260 ext. 211 Fax: 202-296-0261 info@...

www.globalaidsalliance.org

=============================================

Bryden

Global AIDS Alliance, Communications Director

1225 Connecticut Ave., NW #401

Washington, DC 20036

202-296-0260 ext 211

dbryden@...