In This Issue
Today, for the fourth time in two weeks the United States Senate is in the throes of taking healthcare away from millions of Americans. It's a tough job, but no one should have to do it.
Yesterday, the President and Liar and Chief said two things that were very interesting to me. He first accused the Democrats of refusing to help the Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I think that is a good thing. The U.S. Congress—Democrats and Republicans alike—should refuse to snatch life-saving health care away from poor and middle-class families in order to give rich people a big tax break. "So, we need virtually every single vote from the Republicans, not easy to do," he said.
Why? Why isn't it easy to get every single vote from the Republicans? If Trumpcare is such a great idea, why is it so difficult for the Republican President to get every single Republican Senator to vote for it and then send a press release to each of their constituents telling them what a wonderful thing they have done.
The reason it is difficult is because taking healthcare away from millions of Americans, stripping away discrimination protections for people with pre-existing condition, including HIV/AIDS, denying women access to maternity care, and eviscerating Medicaid is a deadly, draconian, and as Trump says, a "mean" thing to do.
Trump tweeted that he will sign literally any healthcare bill. Last night the Republican-led Senate attempted to repeal the ACA without any replacement whatsoever. We don't know what will eventually come out of the Senate. We do know there is nothing in any of the current plans that serves poor people, people with existing conditions, including HIV, or older people. We know, even if the Republicans can't repeal the ACA legislatively, they have already started to undermine it—withholding funding, providing waivers from protections and creating administrative barriers to people seeking care. When Trump says, "Let Obamacare die," he means let's kill Obamacare behind the scenes and out of sight.
We also know, eventually the healthcare fight is going to go to states, cities, and towns. People get sick and need and utilize healthcare one person at a time in local communities. The implementation of any healthcare proposal will happen on a local level.
This week, we are focusing on the Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN). BTAN chapters are local networks of health departments, AIDS service providers, clinical providers, community-based organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS or at risk for infections, and other stakeholders. The chapters spotlighted in this issue are all doing remarkable and diverse work addressing the HIV/AIDS in local Black communities.
On the day when Trump tweeted an order to ban Transgender people from joining or serving in the military, BTAN Bay Areas was focusing on raising HIV/AIDS awareness among transgender people. Our newest BTAN chapter, BTAN Detroit, is preparing for its first three-day training. Following the surveillance data available to them, BTAN New Orleans is developing prevention and treatment strategies for young people. BTAN Baton Rouge is taking its message to the airwaves by partnering with local radio station WTQT-LP 106.1 FM to develop an entire radio program to provide information and referrals to HIV services in the region. Finally, BTAN Maryland—formerly BTAN Baltimore—has obviously expanded. But growing geographically is not the only way BTAN Maryland is working out of the box. The chapter is using movies to engage communities by launching a movie series to expand the HIV/AIDS conversation in Maryland.
Yours in the struggle,
Phill