Not buyin' it. They lie. They twist.
Bush on World AIDS Day Issues Order to Lift Ban on HIV-Positive Foreigners Entering Country; Other World AIDS Day News
December 4, 2006
President Bush Friday on World AIDS Day issued an executive order to lift a provision of U.S. law that bans HIV-positive foreigners from entering the country without a special waiver, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 12/2). Congress in 1993 enacted legislation that prevented HIV-positive foreigners from obtaining visas or citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of State, if any foreigners traveling to the U.S., including people from countries not requiring visas, reveal that they have a “communicable disease of public health significance,” they are prevented from entering the country. The same rule applies to foreigners seeking permanent residence in the U.S. (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/22). The current law allows waivers to be issued so HIV-positive people can enter the country to attend special events. Under the new rule proposed by Bush, HIV-positive people would obtain a “categorical waiver” for business or tourist visas for visits of no more than 60 days. It is not clear whether visitors still would be required to declare their HIV status. HIV/AIDS advocates after the announcement praised Bush’s decision but called for all restrictions on HIV-positive immigrants to be lifted. “It’s a step away from a terribly discriminatory and inappropriate policy, but it doesn’t go far enough,” Physicians for Human Rights Executive Director Leonard Rubenstein said, adding, “If you want to remove stigma from AIDS, you have to go the whole distance and eliminate all restrictions on entry to the United States for people with HIV” (San Francisco Chronicle, 12/2).
http://www.thebody.com/content/art38979.html
Bush to ease rule limiting HIV-positive foreign visitors
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/12/02/MNGKFMO1ST1.DTL