PHA-Exchange> Bush cut his promised AIDS fund by 33%

[Aviva]

WALL STREET JOURNAL: PRESIDENT BACKS OFF PLEDGE TO FUND GLOBAL AIDS
FIGHT 

The Wall Street Journal today reports, "President Bush plans to ask
Congress for relatively small funding increases to fight AIDS and
poverty in the developing world, stepping back from his highly
publicized pledge to spend huge sums to help fight them." The 
President's decision is just the latest step in a calculated effort to
slowly - but surely - abandon his own commitment to fully fund the
global fight against AIDS.

Just last year in his State of the Union speech, the President said "I
ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years...to
turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and
the Caribbean. Seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do
so much for so many." At face value, it was an historic request, with
Congress and AIDS activists ecstatic about the promise to pump $3
billion a year into combating AIDS throughout the world. U2 Singer
Bono, who has been one of the leaders of the AIDS fight, "hailed" the
President's speech, saying "If we can turn the president's bold long
term vision into near term results we're excited," adding, "any delay
in increased funding means more lives lost and an even bigger check in
the future."

Unfortunately, as the LA Times reported, just five days later, the
President introduced a budget in which he "only sought $2 billion for
the year" for AIDS - 33% less than he had promised. The Senate later
voted to increase the President's request, and Bono visited with the
President to urge him to keep his promise. Nonetheless, the White House
"repeated its strong opposition to any funding beyond $2 billion" while
claiming with a straight-face that the President was doing all he
could. When questioned about the discrepancy, White House spokesman
Scott McClellan simply refused to address the issue, saying only "The
President has shown unprecedented leadership in the fight against
AIDS."