AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #216, February 12, 1995
The future of AIDS research, prevention, human rights, and care
will depend on how well we explain the need to the larger
public, and also on how well we establish a grassroots culture
in which tens of thousands of people regularly speak out to
their elected representatives, the media, and others, as a part
of everyday life. Today, if you live in California or one of
other 15 states listed below, your calls to one or both of your
Senators are especially important; also get friends living in
those states to call.
The U.S. Senate may vote next week on a "balanced budget"
amendment to the U.S. Constitution; the House has already
passed it. The bottom line is that a balanced-budget amendment
will hurt people who need help, including people with AIDS.
Also, the Constitution should not be changed without good
reason; the deficit has already been reduced by almost half
since 1992, without changing the Constitution; and many
economists believe that the Federal government needs the
flexibility of deficit spending to help people during
recessions, stabilizing the economy in the process. This
attempt to change the Constitution is being rammed through
before people have a chance to understand the consequences.
Call or write your Senators and ask them to OPPOSE the balanced
budget amendment.
On February 11 the AIDS Action Council listed the following
Senators as especially important, because they are undecided or
not firm about how they will vote. The vote will be close; if
you live in any of these states, call the Capitol at
202/224-3121, ask for your Senator's office, and ask them to
vote NO on the balanced budget amendment. [Note: The busy
office staff will seldom ask why you are opposed; they just
need to get the count of those who call for and against. If the
receptionist does ask, you could say that you are concerned
about AIDS funding -- or about changing the Constitution
unnecessarily.]
Alaska: Ted Stevens (R-AK)
California: Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
Delaware: Joe Biden (D-DE)
Georgia: Sam Nunn (D-GA)
Iowa: Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Kentucky: Wendell Ford (D-KY)
Louisiana: John Breaux (D-LA)
Maryland: Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Massachusetts: John Kerry (D-MA)
Montana: Max Baucus (D-MT)
Nevada: Harry Reid (D-NV)
New Mexico: Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
North Dakota: Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan
Rhode Island: Clairborne Pell (D-RI)
South Dakota: Tom Daschle (D-SD)
Vermont: Jim Jeffords (R-VT)