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to be Increased by $11 Million  Reps. Hilleary (left) and Riggs |
| Compiled by Badpuppy's GayToday From Human Rights Campaign Report Washington -- The House overwhelmingly passed the VA-HUD Appropriations Conference Committee report today, by a vote of 409 - 14. The report did not include the controversial anti-gay Riggs Amendment. If enacted, the Riggs Amendment would have prohibited the city of San Francisco from using any VA-HUD funds to enforce that part of its anti-discrimination ordinance which requires city contractors to offer domestic partnership benefits to its unmarried employees. The conference report also dropped the Hilleary amendment, which sought to freeze spending on the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA) program at FY `98 levels. The final VA-HUD bill increases HOPWA funding by $11 million. The HOPWA program helps people living with HIV and AIDS find housing. "The Riggs Amendment represented an unprecedented federal intrusion into local affairs. Today's elimination of the Riggs Amendment was a responsible action by House and Senate conferees who did not want the federal government to micro manage local affairs and impose narrow beliefs in far away cities," said HRC political director Winnie Stachelberg. The Committee's $11 million increase of HOPWA brings total funding for the program to $215 million and will help thousands of people with HIV/AIDS find adequate housing. "This was a major victory that will save lives. It is nearly impossible for people living with HIV/AIDS to remain healthy without adequate housing and today's bill will help a lot of people. We will now work with Senate leaders to have the Senate vote on this report as soon as possible," said HRC senior health policy advocate Seth Kilbourn.
In July, the Hilleary amendment, sponsored by Tennessee Republican Van Hilleary, passed the House by a vote of 231-200 and the Riggs amendment, sponsored by Congressman Frank Riggs (R-CA), passed the House by a vote of 214-212. |
Rep. Jerry Lewis 