Congresswoman Lee Honored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation
For Immediate Release
May 7, 2009
Contact
Ricci Graham
(510) 763-0370
Congresswoman Lee Honored by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation
San Francisco – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was honored on Thursday by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation for her tireless work in the fight against HIV/AIDS and her ongoing efforts to ensure that there is adequate care for those living with the virus in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Congresswoman Lee was honored during the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s 22nd Annual Leadership Recognition Dinner at the InterContinental San Francisco Hotel on Thursday evening. She is the first member of Congress to receive the foundation’s Community Service Award.
“U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has shown unparalleled leadership in fighting AIDS locally, nationally and globally,” said Mark Cloutier, CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “She understands the importance of public policy grounded in scientific evidence and is responsible for key legislation to prevent HIV in our community and around the world. The San Francisco AIDS Foundation looks forward to her continued leadership in developing and implementing a National AIDS Strategy.”
Congresswoman Lee was unable to attend the foundation’s 2009 Leadership Recognition Dinner, but she delivered a video-taped message thanking the foundation for the award. She also praised the foundation for its commitment to developing programs and policy initiatives that promote health and help create sustainable progress in the fight against HIV.
“The San Francisco AIDS Foundation has long been a vocal ally for the work that we do in Washington and in advocating for increased funding for HIV prevention and care services that improve health for everyone in the Bay Area,” Congresswoman Lee said in the taped address. “The Foundation has truly been a national leader in the drive to prevent new HIV infections. You provide the link between community experience and science, to develop ground-breaking prevention programs and bold policy initiatives to promote health and create sustainable progress against HIV.”
In her message, Congresswoman Lee acknowledged that there has been a great deal of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS since the San Francisco AIDS Foundation was founded 27 years ago. But she stressed that Congress must work to develop a National AIDS strategy to “coordinate our response to this epidemic.”
“As all of you know, we need a National AIDS Strategy to better coordinate and guide our response to this devastating disease,” said Congresswoman Lee, who introduced a resolution in September urging Congress to develop a national AIDS strategy to address the disproportional impact of AIDS on minority communities. “Its got to have clear and ambitious targets to reduce HIV infection rates, increased access to testing, care, and treatment, and it most focus on the communities who have been most impacted by this disease - especially African Americans and young gay men.”
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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, the PEPFAR Reauthorization Act in 2008, and legislation addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in 2005. She is the only member of Congress serving on both the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education which have jurisdiction over all US global and domestic AIDS programs.
Deputy District Director
Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee
1301 Clay Street, Suite 1000-N
Oakland, CA 94612
Office: 510-763-0370
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