The Bush Administration and AIDS Funding

Bush AIDS Initiative Clears House

CONTACT AN EXPERT:

Jodi Jacobson, Center for Health and Gender Equity: (301) 270-1182 Kirsten Sherk, Planned Parenthood Federation of America: (202) 973-4864 Hannah Pandian, International Planned Parenthood Federation: 44-171-487-7906 Mark Daley, Population Action International: (202) 557-3446

Recent media coverage

May 2, 2003: May 1--The House of Representatives today approved President Bush’s $15 billion AIDS Initiative, attaching two amendments that will discourage and disparage the use of condoms in combating the deadly pandemic.

One amendment, from Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), sets aside one-third of the funds allocated to preventing the spread of HIV to promote “sexual abstinence until marriage.” This language, approved on a vote of 220 to 197, echoes onerous and failed restrictions that prevent some programs operated by the Department of Health and Human Services from even dispensing information on contraceptive methods, including condoms, except for information on their failure rates.

The other amendment, from Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), allows medical providers and nonprofit groups to refuse to “endorse, utilize or participate in” any AIDS treatment or prevention method to which they may have a moral or religious objection. It passed on a voice vote. Smith refused to specify that his amendment would not let groups disparage or undermine approaches they refuse to use.

In a further assault on family planning and contraceptive use, the five-year spending bill also requires that groups subject to the global gag rule, or so-called “Mexico City policy,” must separate their family planning services from their AIDS prevention and treatment services in order to be eligible for this new AIDS funding.

Quick Senate action is likely as President Bush has asked that the measure be on his desk by Memorial Day.

History of the Global Gag Rule

Text of State Department memo recommending extending the Global Gag Rule to HIV/AIDS and other programs

Analysis: Bush administration opens a new front in its war on women – a HIV/AIDS Global Gag Rule

Letter from more than 300 leading parliamentarians, public health practitioners, and religious leaders opposing expansion of the Global Gag Rule

Women, HIV, and the Global Gag Rule: The Dis-Integration of U.S. Global AIDS Funding

"AIDS has a woman's face:" Lewis: UN special envoy laments loss of female population in Africa (Ottawa Citizen)

Response by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, D-NY

Congressional Letter from Rep Henry Waxman to HHS Secretary Thompson outlining concerns on HIV/AIDS, abstinence and condom use

February 26, 2003: Letter to President Bush from more than 130 NGOs protesting the expansion of the Global Gag Rule

Statement by Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Statement by Internationa Planned Parenthood Federation

Statement by the Global AIDS Alliance

Statement by Population Connection

Statement by the Center for Reproductive Rights

Statement by the International Women's Health Coalition

Statement by Population Action International

Letter from Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children and 5 other NGOs

Statement by The Center for Health and Gender Equity

Statement by the Pacific Institute for Women's Health

Statement by Physicians for Human Rights

Statement by the Open Society Institute

Conservative news source Cybercast News Service acknowledges harm to women: Read their article, "Women Particularly Vulnerable in AIDS Pandemic, Panelists Say"

Voices of the Opposition to Family Planning: The Global Fund for Abortion, Prostitution, and the Homosexual Agenda

Jan. 22, 2001: Bush’s order to reinstate Mexico City Policy

past features