Serrano Applauds House Vote To End Ban On Federal Funding Of Syringe Exchange

Today, the House voted to end the ban on the use of federal funds for syringe exchange programs, a step Congressman Serrano applauded.

Serrano has been the leader of the effort to end this ban, authoring H.R. 179, the Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act, which would have mandated this step. The vote today came on the FY2010 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

"Today we had a major victory in our fight to end restrictions on effective syringe exchange programs around the nation," said Serrano. "I have been fighting for this for several years, including introducing a bill that would have done what we did today. We knew the harsh ban on syringe exchange programs was literally killing people as they contracted infectious diseases. Our side, which is based on belief in facts, and based on sensible policies, struggled against false arguments. Today we were vindicated. I applaud my colleagues for taking this action in favor of a vital public health program, with special thanks to Chairman Obey."

"I also wish to recognize the incredible efforts of the various national and local groups that have been working for years to make this possible, especially AIDS Action, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Harm Reduction Coalition. Without the work of these valiant groups all across the nation, the step we took today never would have been possible."

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