State Department Asking for ‘Substantial’ Budget Increases for International AIDS Fight
The U.S. Department of State is seeking "substantial" budget increases to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports. Secretary of State Colin Powell has given "high priority" to increased funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS, according to the AP/Sun. Powell said that every nation -- "regardless of its size, economic status or political strength" -- is "vulnerable" to the disease, which led to the deaths of 3.1 million people worldwide last year. "The positions we hold in our governments give our voices resonance at home and abroad," Powell said, adding, "We can and must use our voices to convince others of the urgency and gravity of this global problem." President Bush is scheduled to submit his budget requests for fiscal year 2004 to Congress early next month (Schweid, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 1/2).
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