January 23, 2023
The Honorable Michael T.
McCaulU.S. Congressman | 10th Congressional District
11614 FM 2244
Suite 160
Austin, Texas 78731
Dear Congressman McCaul:
As you know, everyone in the world deserves to lead a life of dignity and opportunity.
The leadership of the United States of America has been critical in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - a bipartisan initiative - the U.S. government has invested substantially in the global HIV/AIDS response. In doing so, it has helped save 25 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and accelerating progress toward controlling the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in more than 50 countries.
But as the Kaiser Family Foundation observes, “there were 38.4 million people living with HIV in 2021, up from 30.8 million in 2010, the result of continuing new infections and people living longer with HIV. Of the people living with HIV in 2021, 36.7 million were adults and 1.7 million were children under age 15.” Hence, while great strides have been made to eradicate HIV/AIDS, more work remains to be done.
That is why I am writing to ask you to reauthorize the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2023. The AIDS crisis is not over.
When HIV/AIDS was first discovered in the early 1980s, I lost a brother-in-law to HIV/AIDS. He was a cultural attaché working with the Government of Canada, a sophisticated, caring, kind man who was based in Toronto. Not long after, I lost a fellow staff member in Austin, Texas at Laguna Gloria Art Museum. He was a quiet, dedicated, hard-working man who always went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the organization ran smoothly and professionally. The world lost two highly professional, upstanding citizens back then. I have not forgotten.
PEPFAR has long enjoyed a tradition of bipartisan support, and I hope the world can count on yours in 2023. Thank you so much for considering my request and thank you for your service to our state and nation.
Sincerely,
Carolyn M. Appleton Carolyn M. Appleton ONE Campaign volunteer since 2012 carolyn@carolynmappleton.com Austin, Texas 78738March 13, 2023
I was pleased to receive an email from The Hon. Michael McCaul via email. Scroll to the next page to read it.
Thank you so much!
