Eyes on the Prize Legislative & Policy Update (January 2006)
If you have questions or comments about Eyes on the Prize, including recommendations on issues you'd like to see covered (or don't ever want to read about again), please email Lisa Schechtman at lschechtman@globalaidsalliance.org.
Thanks for reading. And thanks for all you do!Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Legislation
The Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005, introduced by Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in the Senate and Representatives Henry Hyde (R-IL) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) in the House, is now law! This victory is thanks in no small part to our wonderful grassroots network. The legislation was signed by the President on November 9, 2005. The Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (OVC) Act is groundbreaking in the wide range of services and reforms it authorizes, including psychosocial support, school food programs, treatment for children with HIV/AIDS, the elimination of school fees, protection of inheritance rights, and support for community-based care organizations. The OVC Act requires the Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy for meeting the needs of orphans and other vulnerable children and establishes a Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children to coordinate U.S. government efforts to ensure maximum on-the-ground impact. The legislation was also championed by the grassroots partners from the Global Action for Children coalition.
Global Action for Children convened a wide range of civil-society groups in order to develop specific recommendations for the Administration to consider as it develops its OVC strategy, as required under the new legislation. Click here to read the recommendations.
In addition, GAA will continue working through Global Action for Children to see that OVC programs are fully funded; the OVC Act mandates that ten percent of the money earmarked for HIV/AIDS go to OVC programming. We will also work to see that those programs authorized by the legislation are enacted on the ground.
Keep your eyes peeled for GAA action alerts regarding fiscal year 2007 funding for orphans and other vulnerable children. The world's kids are counting on you!
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
U.S. funding for global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria for fiscal year 2006 will total $3.4 billion. Of this, $1.9 billion was appropriated in the Foreign Operations bill for bilateral aid, to be disbursed through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Foreign Operations also appropriated $450 million in HIV/AIDS funding to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. After a successful grassroots push (thanks, Ohio!), Representative Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, restored $100 million for the Global Fund to the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education budget. While the $550 million total contribution from the U.S. for fiscal year 2006 is a good start, the Global Fund remains short of the money it needs to renew existing grants and fund new projects in the 128 countries it currently serves.
We can't let this shortfall happen again—too many lives depend on the Global Fund! That's why we will be working even harder in 2006, and asking you to do the same.
Universal Basic Education
Committed action in Washington and across the country—especially by activists in Representative Nita Lowey's (D-NY) district—helped secure renewed funding for school fee elimination in the fiscal year 2006 budget. For 2006, Congress stipulated that not less than $465 million should support basic education in poor countries. This is $65 million more than was appropriated for this purpose in fiscal year 2005. Congratulations on your hard work to ensure education for all!
This funding will increase access to quality education in the developing world by training teachers, developing curricula, improving school buildings, making school supplies more available, and removing financial barriers to attending school. Fifteen million dollars will go to expanding a pilot project, initiated in 2005 with $15 million, to eliminate school fees that prevent millions of children, especially girls, from attending school. Another $65 million will focus on a few countries that are moving toward universal basic education as part of the World Bank's Fast Track Initiative.
In 2006, GAA will continue to seek grassroots support for U.S policy that will increase access to universal basic education around the world. In addition to monitoring implementation of the funding initiatives described above, we will be promoting a more comprehensive Presidential initiative to increase universal access to basic education.
PEFFAR Transparency
In 2004 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study of the drugs purchased for use in PEPFAR programs, and of their purchase price. It found that PEPFAR had been purchasing antiretroviral drugs that cost as much as $328 per person per year more than equally effective generic drugs. This is an inefficient use of tax dollars and costs many people more than just money—it costs them their lives.
In April 2005, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) offered an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Authorization bill that required increased reporting on PEPFAR drugs. This "global transparency" language, Section 6116 in the Foreign Operations bill, will require PEPFAR to report on which drugs are purchased and how much they cost.
AIDS drug prices are particularly important for two reasons. First, a growing number of people who have been on HIV/AIDS drugs are now in need of newer, more powerful medicines. Known as second-line drugs, these medications remain extremely expensive, largely because there are no generic competitors for brand-name second-line antiretrovirals. Similarly, treatment for children with HIV/AIDS can cost as much as ten times the price of treating adults with first-line drugs. For example, children may require syrup formulations or medication in doses specific to their smaller bodies, which are often more expensive to manufacture. For more information on pediatric treatment, check out the article What Are We Waiting For? Children Need Treatment Now! Click here to read.
The PEPFAR transparency language will enable advocates like you—and Congressional leaders like Senator Feingold—to ensure that U.S. HIV/AIDS programs can afford to treat every person living with HIV/AIDS, and will help us hold the Administration accountable for stretching its dollars farther to save the most lives possible.
Medicaid
As 2005 came to a close, Congress raced to pass the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report for fiscal year 2006, which contained serious cuts to Medicaid. Many people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States depend on Medicaid for treatment; 90% of kids and 50% of adults with the disease rely on government assistance for medication and care. Yet the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report will seriously compromise the ability of people living with HIV/AIDS to get affordable, high-quality care.
For example, the legislation will allow states to change the ways in which they pay for Medicaid services. This would result in lower costs for states, and higher co-payments for lifesaving HIV drugs to be paid by individuals on Medicaid. For some Medicaid beneficiaries, it will mean a co-payment for HIV medications of over $100 for each prescription. The agreement would also allow states to cut benefits for nearly all of the 29 million children currently on Medicaid, regardless of income level.
The House will vote again on the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report before it becomes law. Our next opportunity to defeat these cuts is expected in early February. In keeping with its commitment to addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on poor people worldwide, GAA will continue to advocate against provisions that could undermine the quality of care available to people living with HIV/AIDS in this country.
Grassroots Conference Call, January 24
Please join GAA for a grassroots conference call to discuss Medicaid and the critical vote coming up on February 1. The call will take place on Tuesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. EST. To join the call, dial 1-800-244-9194, and then enter passcode 658520, followed by #. On the call will be GAA's Policy Director David Gartner and experts on the impact of Medicaid on those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as activists from across the country. We will also update you on what else is happening in Washington and learn more about what you've been doing to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world. The call will last around 30 minutes. Please email lschechtman@globalaidsalliance.org with questions.
Looking Ahead
The President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2007 is expected on February 3. We will be watching closely to see what President Bush requests for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, for U.S. programming to combat these killer diseases, for legal protection mechanisms for women and girls, and for strengthening educational and health care systems in under-resourced countries. Once the budget proposal is announced, the FY07 appropriations cycle begins, and we will need your help to make sure that U.S. dollars support programs that will best meet the needs of those living with and affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.