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The following is the agenda and notes taken during Coalition member's meetings in Washington DC on September 15, 2005.
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10am
Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen (D-VI)
Britt Weinstock, Senior Health Policy Advisor
1510 Longworth
The meeting with Britt Weinstock proved extremely useful. Britt is extremely well informed on public health issues including HIV/AIDS and is especially passionate about addressing health-care and disease disparities in minority communities. Delegate Christensen is a physician and is a leader in the Congressional Black Caucus. Among other achievements, she has championed congressional efforts to both increase funds to address health disparities in minority communities and to provide adequate funding of the Ryan White CARE Act. Although Christensen is already aware of the complexities surrounding HIV/HCV coinfection and the reasons why it must be addressed, Britt was concerned about backlash from other HIV/AIDS related lobby groups if HCV coinfection were added to the reauthorization discussion. Some lobbyists have argued that if Ryan White is flat-funded the addition of HCV coinfection language would take money away from programs that are already suffering from inadequate funding.
To address this, she suggested that we speak with federal affairs staff at agencies such as NMAC to gauge their response to our language and this issue. (We have contacted NMAC in the past regarding this issue and will do so again, in organizing a meeting with Damon Dozier, Congressional Liaison at the organization).
In addition she said that she would raise the issue of HCV as it relates to the CARE Act in her meetings on the hill and with the members of the Health Brain Trust of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Caucus being specifically interested in seeing that the Bill more adequately reflects the epidemic and is consistent with the need of the population it serves. She mentioned the following offices for follow up on the hill; Representative Barton, Representative Hilda Solis, Representative Barbara Lee and Senator Harry Reid. Senator Reid has been particularly active on a Health Disparities Bill that addresses issues such as; reducing the incidence of diseases in minority communities, training providers and focusing on disease prevention.
Efforts are being made to schedule the above meetings in November 2005.
1pm
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
Lisa German Foster, Senior Health Policy Advisor
728 Hart Senate Building
Lisa German Foster met with us in lieu of a Fellow that would usually deal with Ryan White issues. Lisa attended the briefing in the Senate sponsored by Senator's Enzi and Kennedy last December.
Lisa said that the Senate and the House may work together on writing a bill to avoid disagreement later and to speed up the process. Dingle and Waxman are undecided as to which of them would be the lead democrat in this effort. Although neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have put forward a bill yet, it is agreed that the White House principles are a central starting point in their discussions about reauthorization.
It was suggested that Senator Reed - whose home state of Rhode Island has two successful models of Hepatitis C training and services - could do a ÒDear ColleagueÓ regarding this issue. Lisa said that she would speak with staffers in Senator Harry Reid's office to find out where he weighs in on this issue.
Drs. Lynn Taylor and Anne De Groot followed up on our meeting by calling Lisa German Foster to discuss insertion of the language and the impact of Hepatitis C coinfection on individuals receiving care through the Act.
3:30pm
Senator Kay B. Hutchison (R-TX)
Matthew Acock/Amy Bradshaw
284 Russell
Due to Congressional obligations regarding victims of Hurricane Katrina, Amy Bradshaw, a legislative assistant who works on health issues stood in for Matthew Acock.
This meeting with Amy Bradshaw did not yield any new information. Although Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has demonstrated her interest in Hepatitis C by sponsoring a reporting and surveillance bill in the Senate, it remains to be seen whether she will play a role in reauthorization of Ryan White. Amy told us that conversations that have taken place within the Senate H.E.L.P. committee have included mentions of Hepatitis C.
We hope to continue discussions of Senator Hutchison's involvement in Ryan White with Matthew Acock.
We continue to be in touch with our contacts in Congress as we wait for movement on the Care Act. At which time we will discuss the inclusion of HCV language.
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