Associated Press – November 30, 2007
MOUNT AIRY, Md. – President Bush urged Congress on Friday to approve an additional $30 billion for the fight against AIDS worldwide over the next five years, and announced he would visit Africa early next year to further highlight the need and his administration’s efforts.
“We dedicate ourselves to a great purpose: We will turn the tide against HIV/AIDS – once and for all,” Bush said. “I look forward to seeing the results of America’s generosity.”
Bush chose the gymnasium at the Calvary United Methodist Church in this tiny western Maryland town to make his remarks. The church supports a Christian group home and school in Namibia for children orphaned by the disease. Before speaking, he met with representatives from churches and other religious groups that have been fighting AIDS, part of his attempt to highlight his belief that faith-based organizations are the best vehicles for such work.
Evangelical Christians, who make up a large and influential portion of Bush’s political support, have been key to his policies increasing U.S. involvement in the fight against AIDS, particularly in Africa. Bush has been said to believe that the United States, and his administration, do not get enough credit for the work being done on the issue.
“Every year American taxpayers send billions of their hard-earned dollars overseas to save the lives of people they have never met,” he said.
But “in return for this extra generosity, Americans expect results,” the president said, adding that his program demands measurable progress, accountability and the involvement of local partners. The result: The number of people in sub-Saharan Africa receiving treatment for AIDS has gone from 50,000 five years ago to nearly 1.4 million now.
“We have pioneered a new model for public health,” Bush said. “So far, the results have been striking.”
In May, the last time he devoted a speech to the topic, Bush asked Congress to double the $15 billion that the U.S. committed over the program’s first five years to therapy, testing and counseling through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The program is active in 120 countries, with a concentrated focus on 15, including Namibia, in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
As of the end of September, 1.36 million people in those focus countries have received antiretroviral treatment through the program, with a focus on averting infant infections by treating pregnant women. Others receive testing and counseling.
“Some call this remarkable success. I call it a good start,” Bush said, adding that he has worked with other nations and the private sector to increase their commitments.
Doubling the funding for PEPFAR would provide treatment for 2.5 million people, the White House said.
Also in honor of Saturday’s World AIDS Day, the White House hung a red ribbon – 28 feet tall and 8 feet wide – in the North Portico of the mansion to symbolize the fight against AIDS. It will stay up for two days and, on Saturday, guests who visit the White House will receive a red ribbon sticker and a fact card.
The White House also said Friday that the Department of Homeland Security will publish a final rule this winter aiming to help reduce discrimination against those living with the virus that causes AIDS. The new rule would establish a categorical waiver for HIV-positive people seeking to enter the United States on short-term visas. A 1993 law prohibits HIV-positive people from receiving visas to visit the United States without a waiver. A categorical waiver will enable HIV-positive people to enter the United States for short visits through a streamlined process.
The Children of Zion Village, an orphanage in northeastern Namibia, was opened in 2003 by missionaries Gary and Rebecca Mink of Rising Sun, Md. They belong to Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Bel Air, which provides most of the home’s $14,000-a-month operating funds with help from other United Methodist churches in Maryland and Ohio, said Lisa McLaughlin, board chairwoman of Children of Zion Inc.
The facility is home to 55 children up to 17 years old. Children of Zion also feeds 116 more orphans in nearby Mafuta and hopes to build a group home and preschool there.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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posted November 30, 2007 at 5:42 pm
I wonder if he’s proposing raising taxes to pay for it or wants to take it out of other programs, also important, which he’s been grossly underfunding already.
I wonder if the money will ever actually be spent. Some of his promised aid has been as empty as some of his other promises.
And I wonder if it comes with strings, such as no encouragement of using condoms.
posted November 30, 2007 at 7:04 pm
nnmns-
I would not worry about where that money is coming from….nor, would I hold my breath waiting for it. I have no doubt this is nothing but empty promises.
Perhaps our Pres is trying to look good in his last year….money for AIDS…Middle East Peace talks.
Or, perhaps it is a way to take attention off of the Endless War….or, perhaps he is trying to make Republicans seem more carrying.
Sorry if I seem suspicous….this is just so very out of character for our Glorious Leader.
Peace!
posted November 30, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Ah…you guys really are funny.
I mean, seriously. It actually _amuses me_ how you guys feel the deep-seated psychological need to denigrate absolutely ANYTHING Bush does.
But as for actually _addressing_ your complaints:
“I have no doubt this is nothing but empty promises.”
From the article:
“The result: The number of people in sub-Saharan Africa receiving treatment for AIDS has gone from 50,000 five years ago to nearly 1.4 million now.”
Yeah; that (pauses to do math) 2800% increase really doesn’t bode well for this project.
“Or, perhaps it is a way to take attention off of the Endless War…”
Wasn’t there like, a 70% decrease in violence in Iraq last month? Can’t say for sure that’ll last, but it is a nice sign.
“…or, perhaps he is trying to make Republicans seem more carrying.”
“Evangelical Christians, who make up a large and influential portion of Bush’s political support, have been key to his policies increasing U.S. involvement in the fight against AIDS, particularly in Africa….The Children of Zion Village, an orphanage in northeastern Namibia, was opened in 2003 by missionaries Gary and Rebecca Mink of Rising Sun, Md.”
Yes, all our efforts to trick people into thinking we have souls is really paying off.
Well, I for one am in a great mood all of a sudden. God bless!
posted December 1, 2007 at 12:47 am
OK, how is it not hypocritical to hype the authorization of money that he will not have to account for? It will all have to come from a budget that he will be able to ignore as he heads back to Crawford and goes to to whack shrubs. The guy spends other people’s money like crazy. So here’s what we’ll do – lets take, say 15 percent of the money he is already to spend on the war he caused, and divert it to AIDS research and relief. That will surely beat anything that might come through other channels. This gesture is more hollow than a chocolate Easter Bunny!
posted December 1, 2007 at 7:37 am
Joey, it’s always dangerous to give Bush credit without first checking the facts.
In 2003 Bush named Randall Tobias “AIDS Czar” and put him in charge of our global anti-aids program, PEPFAR. Tobias had just finished being president of Eli Lilly and used his influence to prevent use of much cheaper but effective generic anti-retroviral drugs in favor of (gasp) brand name drugs, and he furthered the Catholic/Evangelical abstinence-only anti-condom line which has been responsible for the deaths of so many people.
You can read about Tobias and the way US money has been used to reduce the effectiveness of many parts of the anti-aids program here.
Oh, and he and the Republican congress demanded outfits getting US money condemn prostitution, even though working with prostitutes to get them into another line of work or to make their work (which is not going to go away) safer is an important component of slowing the spread of AIDS. He was doing that up until this April 26, when it was revealed he’d been a heavy user of the services of Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s outcall girls. April 27 he resigned.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Bush Administration.
posted December 1, 2007 at 10:29 am
Joey-
I wish that my skeptisim were misplaced.
My friends have already posted the rest of what my response would have been.
You see, I am skeptical not because I dislike our Pres….but, because Pres Bush has taught me over the last few years that I can not trust what he says.
On a note, I will always be grateful for all he has done to advance equal-rights lgbt people!
Peace!
posted December 1, 2007 at 11:12 am
Joey-
One thing that has been left out is that the Bush Admin ties all AIDS/HIV moneys to abstinence-only programs. There is no reseach that demonstrates abstinence-only programs work. There is however much research that demonstrates that abstinence-only programs do not work.
So, the administration is trying force their belief system on people in exchange for providing assistance.
Peace!
posted December 1, 2007 at 11:19 am
Evangelicals aren’t “anti-condom,” and their belief in abstinence doesn’t really apply to most of the African situation, since a large number of the people getting AIDS in Africa are people who are already married or people who are being born with it.
posted December 1, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Apparently the US’s “ABC” policy makes condoms available only to “high risk” people, which doesn’t include a lot of the people who could gain protection by using them.
posted December 2, 2007 at 12:39 am
JohnQ, I don’t believe your facts are right. From what I’ve heard (but am too lazy to look up at the moment, so maybe it’s wrong) only $1 billion of the original $15 billion dollars (6-7% or so) went to abstinence-only programs.
(I also object to the idea that “abstinence-only programs do not work.” That is just ridiculous. Abstinence-only programs work great. Most people are simply not informed that _following_ the program is a prerequisite of the success.)
And, yes, in a way such a program is “forcing a belief system down their throats.” Though, to be fair, it’s a belief system that, if followed, will actually SOLVE THE PROBLEM WE’RE GENEROUSLY GIVING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO FIX. I mean, I’m just saying, it’s not that I’m against pro-condom programs, I just find the logic of “don’t tell people with AIDS not to have sex” a bit annoying.
God bless…
posted December 2, 2007 at 9:52 am
Joey, I’ve heard but don’t have time to look it up till much later that a third of the money is to go to abstinence-only.
And in US schools abstinence-only has a high failure rate, leaving kids with no back-up.
posted December 2, 2007 at 1:44 pm
“W” is trying to undo the last 7 years of his presidency by first trying to broker a treaty in the Middle East and now trying to help fight AIDS. A little late for saving his legacy as president, I’m afraid. I certainly wish peace in the Middle East, and most certainly want to try and get AIDS under control and someday soon, stopped. However I am skeptical on the motives of our “leader?” as he goes about the business of trying to run this country. I sincerely hope there are no strings attached to the AIDS money.
posted December 2, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Well I’m finally back and did some quick research. There’s commentary here about some of the problems PEPFAR has caused. If you go down to “Strict Control Over Purse Strings” you’ll see I was right about the one third spent on abstinence-only.
I love it when I’m right but I don’t like to be right that such a bad thing is happening to so many people.
posted December 2, 2007 at 9:06 pm
Here’s another article which concludes by stating
“Sadly, this report suggests the U.S. is impeding, not leading, efforts to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS. The Administration’s political blind spots will continue to weaken global HIV prevention efforts until the money can be directed to programs that work – comprehensive programs that promote abstinence, monogamy, and condom use for the prevention of this deadly disease.”
posted December 2, 2007 at 9:20 pm
I too may be incorrect….however, I think that all programs that now recieve federal monies for AIDS/HIV prevention and care must be abstinence-only. The funding for all other programs was cut.
Peace!
posted December 3, 2007 at 11:58 am
It is ironic that we send money to help fight AIDS by putting “strings” on it ….forcing a totally unreasonable restriction of “abstinence” on the money. Human beings are sexual beings. We shouldn’t be forcing our current government’s morality on other nations under the tent of helping fight aids!!!! It says”want money to fight AIDS? Then make sure the folks who need it aren’t having sex!”
posted December 5, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Everything should be used to stop AIDS, and everything is any conceivable prevention; Education on hygiene, condoms, abstinance, and any new info that pops up. It is time to stop putting religious beliefs into this problem and go at it from a medical direction. People will either elect to do these preventions, or they will die, and be very sick until they do die. No amount of praying is going to change how AIDS is eliminated, if you don’t listen to what the Medical World is telling you.