February 8, 1996 -- Letter to ACLU Affiliates from Gene Guerrero & Alexander Robinson Regarding HIV

February 8, 1996 -- Letter to ACLU Affiliates from Gene Guerrero & Alexander Robinson Regarding HIV

TO: Affiliates

FR: Gene Guerrero & Alexander Robinson

RE: HIV & Military Personnel

DATE: February 8, 1996

Urge Presidential Veto

As you know, Congressman Robert Dornan (R-CA) attached a provision to the defense bill requiring automatic discharge of HIV-positive servicemembers. Because the provision was attached to the defense ibll even Members of Congress such as Senator Kennedy and Hawaii Representative Neil Abercrombie voted for the defense bill with the discriminatory provision attached. While President Clinton opposes the discharge requirement he has indicated that he will sign the bill. However with the growing recognition of how unfair and damaging the automatic discharge requireement will be, there is increasing pressure on the President to exercise his veto. The President is also being urged to veto because this defense bill also reinstates the ban on military women or dependents having abortions in overseas military facilities. PLEASE ASK ACTIVISTS TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE URGING THE PRESIDENT NOT TO SIGN THE DEFENSE BILL.

Urge Congerssional Action

In Congress there is significant bi-partisan opposition to the discharge requirement. Republican Representative Peter Torkildsen (R-MA) and Senator William Cohen (R-ME) have joined with Senator Kennedy and Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) to sponsore legislation to repeal the discharge requirement. The House bill has been introduced (HR 2959) with 43 cosponsors including 8 Repubicans. There are 28 Senators who have agreed to sponsor the Senate bill which will be soon introduced.

Current cosponsors of this critically important legislation in the House are: Abercrombie, Ackerman, Beilenson, Berman, Bilbray, Boehlert, Brown, Campbell, Cardin, DeFazio, DeLauro, Deutsch, Durbin, Engel, Evans, Farr, Filner, Foglietta, Frank, Furse, Gejdensen, Gilman, Gonzalez, Gunderson, Gutierrez, Hillard, Hinchey, Johsnon (D-TX), Johnson (R-CT), Johnston, Kennedy (D-MA), Kennedy (D-RI), Lantos, Lee, Lofgren, Maloney, Markey, Martinez, Matsui, Meehan, Meek, Miller, Moran, Nadler, Norton, Olver, Pelosi, Rivres, Sabo, Sanders, Schroeder, Shays, Slaughter, Stark, Studds, Torricelli, Ward, Waters, Waxman and Yates. Senate cosponsors are: Akaka, Bingmana, Boxer, Bradley, Bumpers, Chafee, Daschle, Dodd, Feingold, Feinstein, Glenn, Harkin, Hatfield, Inouye, Jeffords, Kerrey, Kerry, Kohl, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Mikulski, Mosley Braun, Moynihan, Murray, Pell, Robb, Sarbanes, Simon and Wellston.

Please ask Members of the House and Senate to support a complete legislative repeasl of the discharge provision. In addition to AIDS and gay activists, some of the relkgiuos organizations committed to civil rights may be interested in helping you lobby Members on this issue. Enclosed is a preliminary fact sheet about the discharge issue. We will send you more as it becomes available.

Thank you for your help.