Senate Passes Labor-HHS and Foreign Aid Appropriations Bills, Including Increased Funding for Ryan White, International AIDS Efforts
The Senate yesterday approved the $123 billion fiscal year 2002 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill (HR 3061), one day after the bill was passed by the House, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 12/21). According to the Human Rights Campaign, the spending bill allocates $1.9 billion for the Ryan White CARE Act. This allocation is $103.1 million more than requested by President Bush (HRC release, 12/20). The bill also includes an amendment requiring the HHS Inspector General to conduct an audit of all federally funded AIDS prevention programs and report its findings to Congress (HR 3061 text, 12/21). The bill cleared the Senate 90-7.
Senate Passes Foreign Aid Spending Bill
The Senate yesterday also passed the $15 billion foreign operations appropriations bill (HR 2506) (Caruso, CongressDaily/AM, 12/21). The bill, which was passed by the House on Wednesday, includes $475 million to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/20).