The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Our friends over at SAVE DADE, along with Bilerico Florida contributor Michael Rajner, passed along this great bit of news about Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart becoming the first Florida member of Congress to sign on in support of an extension for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act, which expires in September:

On Monday, August 24, 2009, three members of Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's staff met for an hour with C.J. Ortuno, Executive Director for SAVE Dade, Georg Ketelhohn, Vice-Chair for SAVE Dade and chair of Organizations United Together (OUT) Advocacy Network, and Michael Rajner, South Florida OUT member living with AIDS. The meeting was a dialogue on various issues of importance to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Miami-Dade.

Michael Rajner provided the Congressman's staff with a proposed letter in support of the Ryan White program and requested the Congressman's support. The day after the meeting, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's office made known the Congressman's decision to sign on to the letter. The letter calls on Chairman Henry Waxman and Ranking Member Barton of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to swiftly pass a three-year extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act. The current law expires on September 30th, 2009, and, without an extension, countless low-income Americans living with HIV/AIDS would lose critical benefits.

SAVE Dade and OUT Advocacy Network extend thanks to Congressman Diaz-Balart for his swift action in support of this important program, and urge other Florida members of Congress to do the same.

"We cannot allow essential care for people living with AIDS to falter. I commend the Congressman for urging swift action on this issue," said Rajner.

Thanks so much for the hard work of SAVE DADE, OUT, and Michael! I hope other law-makers follow suit!