Compromise AIDS Funding Advances in U.S. House

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 - A renewal of President Bush’s AIDS program headed to the House floor today after a hard-fought compromise version won committee approval.

On a voice vote, the Foreign Affairs Committee authorized $50 billion over five years to keep spending steady in the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), much more than the $30 billion the administration had sought. The program has sent more than $19 billion overseas since 2003 to provide AIDS medicines and treatment to nearly 1.5 million people.

In a late-night negotiation session, Democrats compromised on some social and policy restrictions on the funding, notably the requirement that a third of AIDS prevention spending go to abstinence-only sex education programs. The new language calls for “balanced funding” of “evidence-based” programs for abstinence, fidelity and condom-use education, but also requires reports to Congress if less than half of spending in any country for preventing sexual transmission goes for the first two. That significantly lowers the amount at stake. Recent research has shown that abstinence-only approaches are ineffective.

Several other proposed changes to the existing program were abandoned in the negotiations. One would have dropped the requirement for funded groups to pledge opposition to prostitution and sex trafficking. Another would have removed the requirement that the funds be spent only against HIV/AIDS and not for other reproductive health services.

Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, said lobbying by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had secured those two provisions. “The bishops put politics over the health and lives of those in need,” he said.

“Many of us were operating on the assumption that evidence and field experience was going to drive this bill,” said Jodi L. Jacobson, director of advocacy for the American Jewish World Service. She said the prostitution pledge is counter-productive in efforts to enlist sex workers in the battle against AIDS.

“This bipartisan agreement will greatly facilitate congressional consideration of this vitally important legislation,” said acting committee chair Howard L. Berman (D-CA). He said he expected it to become law shortly.

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