Kaytee Riek Blogs the Bird-Dogging -- HealthGAP Election Wrapup

from Kaytee Riek, HealthGAP/SGAC/ACTUP Bird-dogger extraordinare... Thank goodness the TV commercials are now over, and the election results are in. Looks like we've got a whole new crop of leaders in the House and Senate that are itching for education about AIDS issues. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard over the past 2 months out there birddogging the candidates! We were incredibly successful, hitting over 20 public events in PA and OH alone. We also did some amazing work in RI, CT, and some AMSAns even went to visit Clinton in Iowa and MD, and house candidates in IL. And VT got out there and talked to our only Socialist Senator, Bernie Sanders, as well as VT's new house member. To sum up: - Sherrod Brown (new Ohio Senator) is on board on trade issues, health workers, and the Ryan White CARE Act - Bob Casey (new PA Senator) is on board w/ health workers and was actually regurgitating our talking points on the CARE Act for $2.6 billion! - Barack Obama has been asked, and had agreed, repeatedly to be our champion on global AIDS, and to support the full $8bn for health workers - he even gave advice to birddoggers to make sure they are hitting the republicans also! (you did, of course!) - Philly 'burbs: new representatives Patrick Murphy and Joe Sestak both won, and both agreeing to meet with us to discuss trade policy, the CARE Act, healthcare workers, and other AIDS issues. - In RI, Sheldon Whitehouse (new RI Senator) has heard about health workers, and definitely needs some more information. - In IL, Roskam (replacing Henry Hyde) side-stepped questions, but said he would look into whatever was sent his way. - Senator Durbin is willing to revisit the inadequate funding levels in his otherwise terrific bill. - The First Lady of the United States Confirmed that they are on a course to roll out a new community health worker based initiative soon - likely as early as World AIDS Day: December 1st. BIRDDOGGERS ROCK!