Human Rights Campaign Statement Urging House to Stop Playing Politics and Pass Ryan White Reauthorization
WASHINGTON — The following statement was issued today by David Smith, vice president of programs for the Human Rights Campaign, at a press conference held at 1 p.m. (EST) in the Cannon House Office Building Terrace.
“Yesterday morning, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act, a lifeline for Americans with HIV/AIDS. This bipartisan compromise bill was the result of over two years of negotiations between members of the House, Senate and AIDS advocates across the country. However, this bill has been caught in a web of politics.
“Congressman Joe Barton and the Republican leadership are literally playing politics with people’s lives as they use the Ryan White CARE Act as a bargaining chip. Failure to pass this legislation this week will devastate AIDS programs around the country and threaten access to lifesaving healthcare.
“In the 25th year of the epidemic, HIV/AIDS is still ravaging communities across the nation — particularly communities of color and gay men. The AIDS crisis is not over. What Chairman Barton and the Republican leadership are doing with the Ryan White CARE Act represents an utter failure to provide the moral leadership that ending AIDS requires. Chairman Barton and the Republican leadership must act now and let the House vote to pass this lifesaving piece of legislation.”
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.