Right now, the U.S. Congress is deciding how much funding to appropriate to global AIDS programs including PEPFAR and the Global Fund. We need your help TODAY and in the coming weeks to pressure your Legislators to put their money where there mouths are, and fully fund global AIDS programs.
The House committee released their draft bill last week, and allocated the flat-lined amounts from last year - $500 million less then what is needed. The Senate committee will be releasing their initial plan for the federal budget on Tuesday, June 28th, and we need them to know that a flat funding proposal is not acceptable.
1) Make a phone call to key Senators
Today, we will show our power by calling the leadership of the state and Foreign Operations appropriations sub-committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), to ensure full-funding for PEPFAR. The call only takes 2 minutes, but has impact in the Senators office. You can reach their offices at:
Senator Graham: 202-224-5972
And you can use this call-in script when you make the call:
After you call, fill out this form to let us know how the office responded!
2) Make a BONUS phone call!
Do you live in a state with any of these Senators? They are on the appropriations sub-committee, and you should call them too!
| Mitch McConnell | KY | 202-224-2541 | Barbara Mikulski | MD | 202-224-4654 |
| Mark Kirk | IL | 202-224-2854 | Richard Durbin | IL | 202-224-2152 |
| Roy Blunt | MS | 202-224-5721 | Jeanne Shaheen | NH | 202-224-2841 |
| John Boozman | AR | 202-224-4843 | Chris Coons | DE | 202-224-5042 |
| Jerry Moran | KS | 202-224-6521 | Jeff Merkley | OR | 202-224-3753 |
| James Lankford | OK | 202-224-5724 | Christopher Murphy | CT | 202-224-4041 |
| Steve Daines | MT | 202-224-2651 |
Here's a call-in script:
"Hello, good (morning/afternoon/evening). My name is ______________ and I am an AIDS advocate. I am calling because I'm deeply concerned about the flat-funding for global AIDS programs that the House has recommended in the budget for FY2017. This must not be repeated on the Senate side. We know we can end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 but we need an additional $500 million for PEPFAR to achieve that. I’m calling Sen. ___________ because as a constituent, I will be very disappointed if the budget for HIV/AIDS is flat-funded yet again. Can Sen. ________ place a call to Senators Patrick Leahy and Lindsey Graham to ask they support a $500 million increase for PEPFAR in FY 2017?............Thank you, have a nice day.”
3) Meet with your legislator:
4) Share this call-to action with your friends - post it to facebook and twitter.
Want more information on global AIDS funding from the US? Check out this infographic:
