Efforts in Congress to Overturn HIV/AIDS Travel Ban
Underway
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved a
provision that would repeal a travel and immigration ban on HIV-positive people.
The Immigration and Nationality Act currently prohibits those found to have the
disease from being admitted into the United States and requires them to be
deported if discovered in the country. The new provision, <b>secured by Senators John Kerry, D-MA,
and Gordon Smith, R-OR, </b> is
part of the Senate’s legislation to reauthorize PEPFAR, the President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The underlying legislation, authored by Senators
Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Richard Lugar, R-IN, now moves to the Senate floor,
although a vote has not yet been set. In the House of Representatives, Rep.
Barbara Lee introduced companion legislation, H.R. 3337, in August 2007.
"Changing the law is the right thing to do and will align our immigration policy
on HIV/AIDS with the existing policy in place for all other diseases," said
Congresswoman Lee.
Immigration Amendments Attached to Fiscal 2009
Budget Resolutions
Attached to the budget resolution adopted by the
Senate on March 13 were two immigration-related amendments:
1. An
amendment by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, which passed, allows for increased
border security and immigration enforcement. It includes programs that expand
the “zero tolerance” prosecution policy for illegal entry, completion of 700
miles of border fencing and deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard members to
the southern border. It passed by a vote of 61-37, with Senators Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton voting against and Senator John McCain abstaining.
2.
An amendment by North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan kills another amendment by
Senator Vitter of Louisiana that would have restricted Community-Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) funding to cities whose police agencies did not
cooperate with federal immigration agents — a strategy for punishing “sanctuary
cities.” The amendment passed by a vote of 58-40 with Senators Obama and Clinton
voting in favor of killing it.