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| Kerry-Smith Riders Would Permit HIV Immigration To US |
| 2008-07-16 |
| A two-decade ban on people with HIV visiting or immigrating to the United States may end soon through a Senate bill aimed at fighting AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas of the world. The U.S. is one of a dozen countries — including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Russia — that ban travel and immigration for HIV-positive people. Even China, said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., recently changed that policy, deciding it was "time to move beyond an antiquated, knee-jerk reaction" to people with HIV. "There's no excuse for a law that stigmatizes a particular disease," Kerry said Tuesday at a speech to the Center for Strategic & International Studies HIV/AIDS Task Force. Even people with avian flu or the Ebola virus have an easier time than those with HIV when it come to applying for visas, he said. Kerry and Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., are trying to repeal the ban, first implemented in 1987 and confirmed by Congress in 1993. The two have attached their measure to legislation — which the Senate may pass this week — that would provide $50 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas... |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #7 which the Senate may pass this week just when I don't think things can get any worse..... geez(shakes head in disgust) |
| Posted by: Jan 2008-07-16 23:53 |
| #6 Is there no end to the creative ways our Congress can figure out to spend hard earned American taxpayer money? I suggest getting the economy straightened out before they consider a new and creative way to spend American dollars. How about declaring a moratorium on new bills that require money? How about Kerry coughing up some of his wife's bucks through her charity? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2008-07-16 14:36 |
| #5 Is this the type of AIDS activity Reverend Jeremiah Wright was referring to? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-07-16 14:05 |
| #4 Wonder if the Americans that these AIDS immigrants will infect can sue Kerry and Smith for the death sentence imposed upon them? Or sue Tereza since she has the big bucks and will bet this is her idea since Jahn hasn't had one since slandering his comrades for personal political gain. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-07-16 13:19 |
| #3 That's $25,000/year per patient of taxpayer money for the 25 years an AIDS patient is expected to live. How many of the 5 or 6 million annual new HIV cases will try to claim asylum in the US because the suffer discrimination in their country. 25 years of free care in the US beats the hell out of dying in 2 back home. $50 billion foreign aid HIV treatment over 5 years is near the entire budget that the US spends on HIV. The US could spend $500 billion and it would make less than zero difference without getting people to change their selfish behaviors that transmit the infection. Even worse, it would increase the infection rate as many more infected would be healthy enough to spread the infection even faster. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-07-16 13:00 |
| #2 Yeah, and lift the ban on people with treatment resistant tuberculosis too!!! No fair discriminating against them either! |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-16 10:57 |
| #1 Can they all crash at Kerry's house? |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields 2008-07-16 10:27 |