Subject: Congress Defers Decision on HIV Repeal Measure - Act Now!
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 1996 12:27:48 -0500

________________________________________________________

NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  [email-masked]
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 29, 1996

       CONGRESS DEFERS DECISION ON HIV REPEAL MEASURE
                                
                         HRC Warns Against  Alternative' That Would
                                  Postpone Discharges by Six Months
                                
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WASHINGTON -- Congress put off deciding the fate of legislation Friday that
would repeal the discriminatory HIV-discharge provision of the recently
enacted Department of Defense authorization.

     House and Senate negotiators failed to reach agreement on a long-term
spending bill and instead passed another stopgap measure to keep the
government running through April 24. The Senate version of the long-term
spending bill includes language, passed unanimously on March 19, that would
overturn the mandatory expulsions.

     The Human Rights Campaign, which has played a leading role in the fight
to repeal this unnecessary provision, warned Friday against an alternative
proposal being floated by several House budget negotiators that would delay
the expulsions by six months.

     "Obviously, the only possible motive would be to put off firing these
loyal service members until after the congressional elections," said Winnie
Stachelberg, HRC's senior health policy advocate. "The moral course of action
here is to overturn this mean-spirited expulsion provision quickly and
completely."

     On March 19, the Senate unanimously agreed to an amendment to repeal the
discriminatory HIV-discharge provision of the recently enacted Department of
Defense authorization. Led by Sens. William Cohen, R-Maine, and Edward
Kennedy, D-Mass., 56 senators had agreed to co-sponsor the repeal
legislation, but decided to put it forth as an amendment to the longer-term
spending measure. That measure, H.R. 3019, the Omnibus Rescissions and
Appropriations Act, also known as a "continuing resolution" that would fund
many parts of the government, passed by a vote of 79-21.

     Among the Senate co-sponsors of the repeal measure are Sens. John
McCain, R-Ariz., Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., Connie Mack, R-Fla., Sam Nunn, D-Ga.,
Slade Gorton, R-Wash., and Robert Bennett, R-Utah.

     The Cohen-Kennedy amendment would repeal the provision in the defense
authorization that singles out HIV-positive service members for mandatory
discharge and cuts off health benefits to their families. That discriminatory
measure, written by Rep. Bob Dornan, R-Calif., affects 1,049 HIV-positive
service members currently in the armed forces.  A similar effort to repeal it
in the House currently has more than 155 co-sponsors from both parties.

     The Dornan provision singles out service members with HIV and treats
them differently from those with other chronic medical conditions. Before it
was enacted, service members with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were
allowed to serve their country as long as they could perform their duties,
but they were not deployed overseas. The same policy applies to service
members who have other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma,
heart disease or cancer.

     The Pentagon has said that about half the HIV-positive service members
are married, and on average, have served for a decade. Nearly 20 percent of
them are officers.

     The repeal effort has the support of President Clinton, Joint Chiefs of
Staff Chairman Gen. John Shalikashvili, Secretary of Defense William J.
Perry, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown, the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Air Force Association. In
addition, former Sen. Barry Goldwater and conservative columnists Charles
Krauthammer and George Will oppose the Dornan provision.

     Based on legal advice from the Justice Department, Clinton has
characterized the discharge provision as unconstitutional, and has put the
full force of his administration behind the drive to repeal it.

     The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay
political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively
lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure
that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work
and in the community.
                                
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