PEPFAR: America’s Response to the Global Emergency of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
April - August, 2008
More than 150,000 U.S. ONE members took a leading role in helping to pass this historic 5-year, $48 billion dollar commitment to work with the world's poorest nations to treat and prevent AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Overview
In the United States, the 2003 President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was a historic commitment to fighting global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. After five successful years, it came up in Congress for reauthorization and expansion in 2008. Passing the next phase of PEPFAR was literally the difference between life and death for millions of people, and ONE members worked for months to help make this landmark reauthorization happen.
In April 2008, thousands of ONE members made calls to members of the House of Representatives calling for support of PEPFAR as it came up for a vote. PEPFAR passed the House 308-116. A week later, ONE launched a Senate Co-Sponsor campaign with African activist Agnes Nyamayarwo, calling on ONE members to recruit 50 Senate co-sponsors. Unfortunately, a handful of senators moved to block PEPFAR, slowing the progress of the bill and scaring away many likely cosponsors. As a result, we shifted our focus to the 7 senators blocking the bill.
In May, ONE asked 16 targeted senate colleagues of those blocking the bill to sign a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, asking them to bring the bill to the floor despite the objections of their colleagues. At the same time, ONE members in the 7 states whose senators were blocking the bill wrote Letters to the Editor calling for those senators to support PEPFAR's passage and remove their hold on the bill.
In June, ONE members launched a national petition to Reid and McConnell asking them to move past the hold placed by the 7 senators. More than 87,000 ONE members signed the petition, and we delivered it to the senators on June 26, 2008.
On July 10, Senator Reid filed for "cloture," forcing a vote to overrule the senators blocking the bill. The following week, ONE members make thousands of calls asking their senators to support PEPFAR as it moved to the floor for debate. PEPFAR passed in a landslide vote of 80-16.
More than 100,000 ONE members wrote letters, made phone calls, and signed petitions to get PEPFAR through the House and past the block placed on it by a handful of opponents in the Senate. In the end, ONE members' efforts helped PEPFAR to pass. More importantly, ONE members laid the ground work for the U.S. to prevent 12 million new infections and provide care for 12 million people living with AIDS -- including getting 3 million people on a critical AIDS treatment called anti-retroviral therapy. The bill also contains strong increases in investments for fighting TB and malaria, two diseases at their most devastating in the world's poorest countries. And, in places desperate for doctors and nurses, PEPFAR will provide training for 140,000 new health care professionals.
Campaign Milestones
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Apr 1 2008
ONE Members Call Congress
ONE members call their representatives on the eve of the final passage vote for PEPFAR reauthorization in the House of Representatives.
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Apr 2 2008
House Passes PEPFAR
The House passes PEPFAR reauthorization with a bipartisan 308-116 margin.
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Apr 8 2008
Agnes Nyamayarwo Launches Senate Co-sponsor Campaign
African activist Agnes Nyamayarwo launches Senate co-sponsor campaign -- in the end, there would be 11 senate co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.
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May 15 2008
Senators Sign Letter Reid & McConnell
ONE members in targeted states ask key senators to sign a letter to senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, asking them to bring PEPFAR to the floor over the objections of a small, but vocal minority who were obstructing the bill.
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May 29 2008
Letter-to-the-Editor Campaign
“Lifesaving Letters” letter-to-the-editor campaign kicks off in the 7 states home to the senators blocking a vote on PEPFAR reauthorization.
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Jun 11 2008
ONE Members Petition Reid & McConnell
ONE members begin directly petitioning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to move past the hold placed on PEPFAR by a few opponents, and get the bill to the Senate floor for open debate.
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Jun 11 2008
McCain Promises to Help “Unstick” PEPFAR
In response to a ONE member, Senator and Republican Presidential candidate John McCain promises to do what he can to “unstick” PEPFAR.
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Jun 18 2008
Senator Obama Becomes a Cosponsor of PEPFAR
Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama becomes a cosponsor of PEPFAR.
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Jun 19 2008
Senator McCain Becomes a Cosponsor of PEPFAR
Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain signs on as a co-sponsor of PEPFAR.
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Jun 23 2008
NYT Editorial in Support of PEPFAR
The New York Times publishes editorial in support of PEPFAR passage.
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Jun 26 2008
Reid & McConnel Receive 87,000-Person Petition
ONE delivers petition with more than 87,000 signatures to Senators Reid and McConnell.
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Jun 29 2008
Fauci and Lantos Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Two of the driving forces behind America’s response to global AIDS, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the recently passed Rep. Tom Lantos, receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Jul 10 2008
Cloture
Reid files for cloture.
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Jul 15 2008
PEPFAR Moves to Senate Floor, ONE Members Call
PEPFAR finally moves to the Senate floor for debate and votes, and ONE members hit the phones, making more than a thousand calls to their senators.
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Jul 16 2008
PEPFAR Passes Senate
PEPFAR passes the Senate in a landslide 80-16 vote.
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Jul 30 2008
Bush Signs PEPFAR into Law
President Bush signs PEPFAR into law, bringing to close months of hard work by ONE members, our leaders in Washington, and the many other groups and individuals who worked to help pass this critical legislation.
Related Press Releases
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ONE Says Expanded PEPFAR Means Renewed Life for Millions
PEPFAR, historic legislation with enormous transformational power, passes in the House MORE
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House Reaffirms and Expands Commitment to Fight AIDS, Malaria and TB
PEPFAR, historic legislation with enormous transformational power, passes in the House. MORE
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Quick Facts
12 million
12 million new cases of HIV infection that will be prevented by PEPFAR, in addition to doubling the number of people on antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people (including 450,000 children) and provide care for five million children who have been orphaned by AIDS.
11 senators
11 senators co-sponsored the PEPFAR Reauthorization: Joe Biden (D-DE), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry (D-MA), John Sununu (R-NH), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Barack Obama (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ).
More than 87,000
More than 87,000 ONE members signed a petition to Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell, asking them to do everything in their power to get PEPFAR past the block placed on it by a handful of opponents in the Senate.
Impact
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PEPFAR: America’s Response to the Global Emergency of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
Over the next five years, if fully funded, this reauthorized PEPFAR will stop 12 million cases of HIV infection, double the number of people on antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people (including 450,000 children), and provide care for five million children who have been orphaned by AIDS.
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