Protesters call for additional AIDS spending
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009
By: Tom MacDonald
tmacdonald@whyy.org
Protesters demonstrated in Philadelphia on Tuesday calling for additional spending on AIDS prevention. Their pleas did not fall on deaf ears.
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The event, sponsored by the group ACT UP, moved from the Liberty Bell to Senator Arlen Specter's office. Asia Russell is a spokesperson for ACT UP. She says the group is calling on federal officials, especially Senator Specter, to push for more spending.
Russell: Congress has to show leadership in the fight against HIV in the U.S. and around the world. Right now the budget request for AIDS housing, for global AIDS and for the fight for effective prevention programs for people who inject drugs is paltry.
The group is pushing for funding for a needle exchange program and other efforts. A spokesperson for Senator Specter addressed the group, saying the Senator is considering the requests as part of the budget process.
