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Born Gay ProCon.org
For Immediate Release
Friday, June 20, 2003
Contact: David M. Smith
Phone: (202) 216-1547
Cell: (202) 716-1639
Contact: Mark Shields
Phone: (202) 216-1564
Cell: (202) 716-1637
HRC EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN ABOUT MINIMAL FUNDING OF HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS
Prevention Programs Receive Flat Funding Despite Rising Infection Rates
WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign expressed deep concern today over
the minimal funding increases provided to the Ryan White Comprehensive
AIDS Resources Emergency Act programs during the mark up of the Labor,
Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill in a House
subcommittee yesterday. The $24 million overall increase to the CARE
Act programs will cover the cost of inflation and provide little more.
HRC expressed particular concern over funding cuts to two vital
programs within the CARE Act, the early intervention and pediatric AIDS
programs. HRC also expressed concerns over the amount allocated for
HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis prevention
activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While it
is unclear what HIV surveillance and prevention will receive, the
subcommittee increased the funding by only $61 million - $34 million
less than the president's request.
"We are calling on the committee to restore and increase funding
to the programs they cut, and to reach farther in increasing the funding
needed for all of these vital programs," said HRC Political Director
Winnie Stachelberg. "The bottom line here is that the epidemic is
getting worse - not better - and the current resources allocated for
fighting HIV/AIDS are not enough to combat this plague."
Reports from the CDC indicate there are currently an estimated
900,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The total
number of people living with HIV/AIDS domestically increased by 33
percent between 1996 and 1999. In 2001, there were a total of 15,603
deaths caused by HIV/AIDS in the nation.
The CDC also reports that AIDS is the leading cause of death
among African Americans age 25 to 44. In yesterday's mark up, the House
subcommittee flat funded the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative.
"It is heart wrenching to see the number of deaths caused by
AIDS in communities of color continue to skyrocket, while funding to
combat the problem does not increase to meet this dire need," said
Stachelberg. "Right now, the best way we can fight this disease is by
preventing its spread with multi-faceted, science based prevention
programs. Yet the government continues to funnel money into
shortsighted abstinence only programs."
While there was no funding increase for comprehensive sexuality
education, which is an integral part of a science based prevention plan,
the subcommittee allowed an additional $10.3 million for programs aimed
at teaching abstinence until marriage programs as the plan for
preventing the spread of HIV.
The subcommittee mark up did increase funding for the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP) by $39 million. ADAP helps fund state
HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs nationwide.
"Obviously, in this difficult economy, we are happy to see any
funding increase," said Stachelberg. "With federal and state budget
shortfalls and Medicaid in crisis, states like Texas and Florida face
severe problems getting life-saving drugs to those who need them. This
minimal increase coupled with cutbacks in care will exacerbate the
crisis. People are going to start falling through the cracks at
alarming rates."
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and
gay political organization with members throughout the country. It
effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the
public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans
can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
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Cell: (202) 716-1637
HRC PRAISES GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. AND UNIONS
FOR ADDING DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS
Policy Would Bring Company 'Up To Speed'
with Majority of Fortune 100 Firms
WASHINGTON - General Electric Co., one of the nation's largest and
oldest manufacturing and financial services companies and the owner of
the NBC television network, has announced that the company's new union
contracts include health care coverage for employees' same-sex domestic
partners. The new policy, in contracts with the International Union of
Electrical Works and the Communications Workers of America to be voted
on June 24, would bring the number of Fortune 100 companies with
domestic partner benefits to 64, according to the Human Rights Campaign
Foundation's WorkNet project.
"This was a smart move by both GE and the unions since domestic
partner benefits make good business sense and are a step toward equal
pay for equal work," said Kim I. Mills, HRC's education director, who
oversees HRC WorkNet. "We urge all union members to ratify these
contracts and bring GE up to speed with its competitors."
The benefits would extend to all GE employees in the United
States, pending ratification of the contracts, a company spokesman told
the Human Rights Campaign on Thursday. GE, based in Fairfield, Conn., is
No. 5 on the Fortune 500 list. If ranked independently, 13 GE businesses
would appear in the Fortune 500. Each of the last five years, The
Financial Times named GE the world's most-respected company.
"If the contracts are ratified, GE's step forward will leave
only three holdouts - Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil and AIG - in the top 10 of
the Fortune list without such coverage," said Daryl Herrschaft, who
manages HRC WorkNet. "Almost 40 percent of the Fortune 500 now offer
these benefit, up from just 17 percent at the beginning of 2000. HRC
continues to work with fair-minded companies of all sizes to expand
equal benefits for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. "
A complete list of Fortune companies with domestic partner
benefits is available at
http://www.hrc.org/worknet/asp_search/results.asp?sKey=List&List=I&t=DP.
HRC WorkNet has been collaborating for several years with
employees inside NBC and CNBC to obtain these benefits. NBC is the only
one of the major television networks without domestic partner benefits.
GE CEO Jeffery Immelt, who was appointed in September 2001, told
employees in March that it wasn't a matter of if but when the company
would extend the benefits. Following a shareholder resolution sponsored
by GLBT advocates, the company added sexual orientation to its
non-discrimination policy in March 2000.
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and
gay political organization with members throughout the country. It
effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the
public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans
can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.
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