Rep. Nita Lowey Introduces Motion Urging Conferees To Maintain Higher Global AIDS Funding in Appropriations Bill
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday introduced a motion urging House-Senate conferees to maintain the higher level of funding for the global AIDS initiative as outlined in the Senate version of the foreign operations appropriations bill (S 1426), according to a Lowey release (Lowey release, 11/5). The Senate last month approved an amendment to the bill that would add $289 million in additional funding for the first year of the five-year, $15 billion global AIDS initiative. The amendment would increase federal spending on the initiative for fiscal year 2004 to $2.4 billion, $400 million more than the Bush administration has requested. The House has approved $2.1 billion for the initiative. Although the measure (HR 1298) supporting the initiative authorizes $3 billion for the first year of the program, the Bush administration has requested only $2 billion. Bush said that his administration requested less than $3 billion in order to give the program time to "ramp up" (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/31). "The Senate's increased AIDS funding level sends a clear message: Congress believes that we can and must do more to fulfill our commitment on AIDS," Lowey said, adding, "I urge the Republican conference leaders to stand up for what's right and maintain this bipartisan agreement to increase AIDS funds in the foreign operations appropriations bill." The House is expected to consider the motion this week, according to the release (Lowey release, 11/5).
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