Congresswoman Lee Applauds Obama Administration Decision to Lift HIV Travel Ban

Urges International AIDS Society to convene conference in the U.S.

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement applauding President Barack Obama’s decision to formally repeal the United States travel and immigration restrictions on people living with HIV, which was published today in the Federal Register.

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Congresswoman Lee sent a letter today to the International AIDS Society (IAS) encouraging them to quickly reach a decision regarding the United States as the host nation of the XXIX International AIDS Conference in 2012.

“Today’s action finally clears away the last vestiges of an unjust and discriminatory policy that has prevented the IAS from holding an International AIDS Conference in the United States for the past 19 years.

“I believe that ending this policy is long overdue, and will lend greater credibility to U.S. foreign assistance efforts to fight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Particularly, it will aid in combating the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, and further erode discriminatory travel and immigration policies in other countries.
“With the lifting of this ban, it is my hope that the International AIDS Society will strongly consider hosting their 2012 International AIDS Conference in the United States. If chosen to host this critical event, the United States would be given an extraordinary opportunity to highlight our commitment to addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to help contextualize the U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic on a global stage.

“I applaud the Administration for taking this critical step to end this outdated travel ban.”

Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. She co-authored legislation signed into law creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2000, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003, and the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008. She authored original legislation to remove the travel and immigration ban in 2007 and played a key role in repealing the statutory ban as part of the PEPFAR Reauthorization in 2008.

Source: Congresswoman Barbara Lee