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Bush Plays Politics
with Global AIDS say Stonewall Democrats

Administration Lobbies GOP Senators: Reduce AIDS Spending

HRC Appreciates the Mini-Millions- But Says Far Too Little

Compiled by GayToday

While GOP buddies as far right as Sen. Jesse Helms see a need for funding the global AIDS fight, Mr. Bush continues to balk

Washington, D.C. - The Bush Administration, according to the Stonewall Democrats, used an announcement about AIDS funding for purposes of political pandering, lobbying to cut $300 million in global AIDS spending in order to announce its own $200 million increase for this year.

At a White House ceremony Wednesday, the President announced that the administration would give $200 million this year to Caribbean nations to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child.

According to reports filed by the Associated Press, the White House move to increase spending was designed to downplay criticism of the administration prior to the G8 Summit in Alberta next week.

The AP reports that, according to a senior Bush advisor, the "announcement is part of a White House strategy to project a compassionate image for the United States ahead of the summit," with the aim to "soften criticism that America doesn't spend enough."

"The White House is simply shuffling money around in order to make this announcement," said Chad Johnson, NSD Executive Director.

"This administration should be doing much more to combat AIDS besides claiming credit for what Congress has already done. Even Jesse Helms has asked for more AIDS funding than this White House."

Sen. Helms (R-NC) has co-sponsored legislation introduced by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) that would increase foreign AIDS spending to a record $2 billion per year, and would force the administration to draft a comprehensive plan to combat global AIDS over the next five years.

In order to make its own announcement, the administration lobbied Senate Republicans last week to reduce proposed global AIDS spending from $500 million to $200 million.

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The funding was included in an amendment passed as part of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. Even with the $200 million touted by the administration, lobbying efforts by the White House have ensured that AIDS funding falls $100 million short of what was originally proposed in the amendment.

While the administration has requested marginal increases in global AIDS funding, it has refused to increase domestic AIDS spending in the Ryan White CARE Act for the second year in a row.

The Human Rights Campaign, while it has expressed its support for the "administration's announcement" notes that the $200 million annual amount is "far short of the necessary funding and resources the epidemic demands on the global level."

"We believe that our nation must use its finite resources to battle this epidemic in a comprehensive and strategic manner - both globally and domestically," wrote HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg in an letter to the government's chief executive.

"While we provide much-needed assistance to foreign nations to combat the tragedy of global AIDS, we must never forget the tragedies that occur each day in our own nation."

Rates of new infections in the United States, previously decreasing, have reached a plateau of 40,000 a year. As many as 240,000 people in the United States are unaware of their HIV infection, and another 300,000 people living with HIV who know they are infected are not receiving HIV-related care.