8
GAY PEOPLE's ChroniCLE
MAY 16, 1997
Northeast Ohio representatives give thumbs-down to Coburn bill
Continued from page 1
will get the hint and meet with some of us in Cleveland the way people in Washington and Columbus have met with us," said Greg Shelton.
Owens told the activists, "It's your mission to see to it that people with AIDS benefit from the conditions of the current budget resolution or at least are not harmed by it." Owens described the budget process as a "dance" between Congress and the administration.
"This sleight of hand is accomplished in three ways," she said, "through rhetoric, through fantasy, and through denial about the real implications of the policies they propose."
She added that many legislative attacks on people with AIDS are disguised as other things, like Medicaid reform. She pointed
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out that 90% of children with AIDS and 70% of adults with AIDS get health care through Medicaid, yet Medicaid still only provides access to care for 58% of eligible people with AIDS.
"Even though we have been vigilant, we underestimated the extent to which people who are cruel and people who are uninformed have united to cut these basic programs. Solutions have to flow from an understanding of the source and of who prospered," Owens said.
AIDS Action's Rose told the activists that Ohio's legislators do not get bombarded on AIDS issues, but need to. He explained that Congress has three functions: to authorize laws, to appropriate funds for the laws they authorized, and to oversee the process. This division, he said, is what enables Congress to authorize legislation like the Ryan White CARE Act, and then not fully fund it.
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"This new budget," said Rose, “calls for the president's priorities, including Ryan White, to be protected, and it is."
But "somebody's going to come after you," when Ryan White keeps its money and other interests like breast cancer lose their funding, he said
"As the pie gets smaller, activists must unite to demand that no poor person for whom a drug is available should be denied access to the standard of care, regardless of what their illness is," Rose said.
Rose urged activists to convince their state to apply for the waiver enabling access to funds available from the Gore Initiative, which will expand Medicaid services to all people in the spectrum and give relief to Ryan White.
The Food and Drug Administration was also of concern to Rose.
show 100% compliance in order to receive Medicaid funds.
Shriver pointed out that Rep. James Traficant of Youngstown “gave Coburn the opportunity to claim he had a bi-partisan bill" by being the
ERIC RESNICK
Northeast Ohio AIDS activists gather on the steps of a House office building.
"We are now dealing with FDA reform," he said. “Republicans, industry, and right-wing think tanks want to privatize it like they did to the Federal Aviation Administration."
Rose said that the the FDA is one of the most important agencies for PWAS. "Industry wants to mess with the efficacy standards," he said, "They want to say drugs work for conditions they have not been approved for."
"The worst thing," said Rose, “is what they are doing to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, which is a law enabling drugs like Crixivan to be brought to market quickly. Everybody agrees that [the act] is great legislation, but Congress is holding its reauthorization hostage to all kinds of dangerous FDA reform."
Mike Shriver of NAPWA addressed the group about the realities of needle exchange programs. "The risk of lifting the ban is that it takes the debate back to Congress where the result is likely to be a more draconian system than we have now," he warned. "However, for the first time, we now have the administration stating that needle exchange does not contribute to an increase in drug use."
Shriver praised Rep. Louis Stokes, D-11, for being "way out ahead of the Congressional Black Caucus with regard to needle exchange programs and AIDS concerns in general."
Shriver also touched on Coburn's "HIV Prevention Act" that would allow physicians to refuse treatment for people who have not been tested for HIV, mandate federal reporting of partners, and allow other "test and report" provisions dealing with everyone from funeral homes to adoption agencies.
If the Coburn bill passes, states will have to
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first of only two Democrats, and the only Ohioan, to sign on to the bill.
Following lunch, the North Coast HIV/ AIDS Coalition became the first group to be addressed by Sandra Thurman in her official capacity as the new White House AIDS advi-
sor.
"I want AIDS issues to be heard on a daily basis," Thurman said.
Thurman explained that she has a "kitchen cabinet" made up of AIDS activists that meets weekly to discuss issues and directions for the administration.
Later in the day, activists made their way to Capitol Hill to meet with northeast Ohio legislators.
Rep. Sherrod Brown was the first to be seen. He was told by Ken Vail of the Xchange Point that Ohio has only two needle exchange programs, both located in Cleveland. But Brown would not commit to a position on needle exchange, saying he knew little about it. He did, however, emphasize his dislike for the Coburn bill.
Rep. Steven LaTourette was also visited. Regarding Coburn's bill, he said, “Every party has their black helicopters. Coburn is ours.” He also agreed with the need to reauthorize the prescription drug act.
Stokes was doing business on the House floor and was unavailable, but two aides from his office met with the North Coast group. This lengthy meeting was a positive indication to most in the group that Stokes' office was knowledgeable and cared about AIDS issues.
Freshman Rep. Dennis Kucinich also met with the group and showed support for AIDS issues. He opposes the Coburn bill and was supportive of AIDS interests. Kucinich explained that he was a sponsor of the Pelosi bill, which protects PWAS from the Coburn bill. He expressed surprise when he was told that Cleveland Mayor Mike White would not meet with the group.
Therese Lutz of Sen. Michael DeWine's (R-Ohio) office discussed Medicaid and Senator Don Nickles' (R-Okla.) companion Senate bill to Coburn's House bill with North Coast activists.
The group met with Sen. John Glenn, DOhio, and his aide Dianne Lissey. Glenn assured the group he is unlikely to support Nickles' bill, and promised to be supportive of AIDS issues.
Everyone was tired by the end of the day, but excitement was high as the coalition gathered at Union Station to board the bus to the airport.
Dr. Elaine J'Amina Steele of the Center for Families and Children said she was surprised at the impressive amount of preparation by Stokes' staff, but added, “We can't rest on today.
Peggy Zone Fisher said that representatives are used to hearing from drug companies and well-heeled special interest groups.
"Today we reminded them that we are their constituents too."