Coalition issues letter to President Obama: Remove ban on syringe exchange funding
As Congress continues to consider legislation to remove the federal ban on syringe exchange funding, the Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy called on President Obama to take a leadership role, pushing Congress to send him a bill this year.
The letter was delivered to the President on October 9, 2009. The full text is below:
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for your commitment to developing and implementing a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) for the United States. We are among the 500 organizations and 2,400 individuals who signed the Call to Action for a NHAS and who, for the past several years, have been advocating for a more coordinated, accountable and outcomes-oriented approach to HIV/AIDS in the United States through a NHAS.
As organizations and individuals committed to an evidence-based, effective HIV prevention effort, we also understand the urgency of removing the ban on federal funds for syringe exchange programs (SEPs). As you know, numerous federally funded studies have found that SEPs reduce HIV and hepatitis C incidence without increasing drug use or crime. Yet lack of resources makes it impossible for SEPs around the country to meet communities’ needs for the essential prevention, treatment and other services these programs provide. The challenge is particularly acute as states across the country grapple with fiscal shortfalls by reducing state funding for vital HIV/AIDS prevention programming, including SEPs.
Earlier this year, you reaffirmed your support for removing the ban on federal funding for SEPs and indicated you want to eliminate the ban as part of the NHAS process. We are writing to let you know that efforts to remove the SEPs ban cannot wait until completion of your Administration’s NHAS.
(Click below to read the rest.)
Since White House staff made supportive statements about elimination of the ban in May 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives, with the leadership of Appropriations Chairman David Obey, voted to remove the ban as part of the FY2010 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. Now advocates for evidence-based health policy are counting on the House and Senate to conference a final version of the legislation that eliminates the ban and removes all restrictions (such as the “1,000 foot rule”) on the decision-making authority of local and state officials.
Mr. President, we need your voice to realize this historic opportunity. We urge you to contact Senator Tom Harkin, Chair of the Senate’s Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and other Senate leaders and convey your strong support for removing the ban as well as all restrictions on local authority in use of federal funds for SEPs.
As a proponent of evidence-based health policy, removal of the ban is fully consistent with your leadership on health issues generally. Overturning this ban represents a crucial first step in implementing a new, national approach determined to obtain better results from our HIV programming. And if the ban is not lifted in this budget cycle it will limit the ability of your NHAS to address the objective of reducing HIV incidence.
The House and Senate may finalize the Labor-HHS-Education bill within weeks, and it is quite possible we will not have this opportunity again next year. We therefore urge you to follow through now on your support for removing the ban on federal funding for SEPs.
Thank you again for your leadership on HIV/AIDS and public health. We look forward to working with you to implement an effective NHAS and enacting evidence-based policies that can prevent disease and deliver life-saving care to all Americans. Please send your response to our letter to Chris Collins at amfAR, 1150 17th Street, NW, Suite 406, Washington, DC 20036 (email chris.collins@amfar.org; phone 202.331.8600).
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Organizations
