U.S. Senate
Approves Repeal of HIV Travel Ban

The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the nation's law barring HIV-positive visitors from traveling to the United States. Democratic senator John Kerry and Republican senator Gordon Smith attached the repeal to legislation reauthorizing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The PEPFAR bill was approved by a vote of 80-16 and now moves to a committee in the Senate before being sent to the president.

"We applaud the Senate for rejecting this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese in an HRC press release. "We call on the leaders of the House and Senate to retain the Kerry-Smith provision in conference and ensure it is included in the final legislation sent to the president's desk." (The Advocate)