The House Backs Another Bush Lie

U.S. House rejects bids to boost global AIDS funds

Backing President George W. Bush, the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday defeated Democrats' efforts to boost funds to fight the AIDS pandemic by shifting money from Bush's new foreign aid program and from drug-fighting efforts in Colombia.

The early-morning votes came before the Republican-led House passed by 370-50 a $17.1 billion foreign aid spending bill that would bring U.S. funding to fight global HIV/AIDS to $2 billion next fiscal year. That is up from the current $1.56 billion but below the $3 billion called for in legislation Bush signed into law in May to launch his initiative.

Bush, who toured AIDS-ravaged Africa earlier this month touting his $15 billion five-year plan, raised expectations that the United States would provide $3 billion next fiscal year starting on Oct. 1 to lead the global effort, but then asked Congress for just $2 billion.