Needle Exchange Amendment Expected on House Floor this Morning
July 24, 2009
This morning, during floor consideration of the 2010 fiscal year Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) is expected to offer an amendment to reinstate the federal ban on funding syringe exchange programs (SEPs). The Human Rights Campaign opposes the Souder amendment will consider this a key vote in this session of Congress. After careful review of science-based research, which has demonstrated that SEPs are effective in slowing the rates of HIV infections without increasing drug use, the Appropriations Committee removed the decades old ban from its FY 2010 funding bill. SEPs are a proven, critical tool in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with more than 185 such programs operating in 36 states. We shouldn't stifle programs that have proven results in stopping the spread of HIV. We'll update on this story later in the day.
