AIDS Bill Needs Full Support

[Guest guest]

GLOBAL AIDS ALLIANCE

AIDS Bill Needs Full Support

Measure Could be a " Hollow Promise " Unless Appropriators Act

Contact: Gartner, 202-550-9673,

or Bryden (in Lusaka), 011-260-97768061

dbryden@...

WASHINGTON (Apr 29) – Today the Global AIDS Alliance called on

President Bush and members of the US House of Representatives to

fully support HR 1298, a AIDS spending authorization bill expected to

come to a vote in the House this Thursday.

As an authorization bill, the legislation by itself provides no US

funding to fight the AIDS epidemic, even if signed into law. It

serves as an important recommendation to the House Appropriation

Committee, which actually appropriates funding. Thanks to leadership

from Rep. Hyde and others, the spending level in the bill moves

toward a realistic level, given the scale of the crisis. Yet, the

level is still much higher than what has already been specified, at

the President's request, by the Budget Committee for fiscal year

2004. Actual provision of the funds would require full backing from

House leaders as well as powerful persuasion from President Bush.

" We cannot afford to play games with AIDS funding, " stated Dr.

Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. " We are

delighted the President has stated his support for this bold,

bipartisan legislation. But, the bill far exceeds the amount he

requested in his own budget proposal for fiscal year 2004, including

for the cash-strapped Global Fund. "

" We are glad that after initially obstructing the bill, the

President has apparently seen the wisdom of a bolder approach. This

is a welcome last-minute conversion. This bill builds indispensable

momentum for progress in fighting this catastrophe. "

" Similar bills have been ignored in the past, even when approved by

the full House, " warned Dr. Zeitz. " We call on the President and

House leadership to make sure this bill is not yet another empty

promise. The real test of the President's commitment will be

whether he works hard to persuade the members of the Appropriations

Committees to turn these funding levels into a reality. "

The bill would allocate $3 billion a year for five years for

international HIV/AIDS programs, with up to $1 billion in fiscal year

2004 going to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and

Malaria. The President's budget proposal for FY 2004 provides $1.6

billion for on the ground AIDS programs, including just $200 million

for the Global Fund.

" AIDS is a true global emergency, so Congress and the White House

have to start treating it like one. Here is Lusaka we see no evidence

of the US's so-called Emergency Response, even though effective

programs are clearly starved for funds. In addition to real increases

for 2004, emergency funds are needed now so that the Global Fund can

continue funding effective AIDS programs in Africa, Asia, and other

heavily affected regions. "

Several members of Congress are planning to offer amendments to the

bill, including adding provisions that would prioritize funding for

monogamy and abstinence program and allowing faith-based groups

to " opt out " of some prevention programs.

" The fight against AIDS requires the kind of realistic and balanced

approach already shown by this bill. We oppose these amendments and

support an approach that takes fully into account the impact of this

crisis on women and girls. "

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