PI Action alerts & updates ... 2002

President Bush Releases Inadequate
HIV/AIDS Budget For Second Year In A Row

In early February, President Bush released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2003, which begins on October 1st of this year. Included in this proposal are his suggested funding levels for domestic and international HIV/AIDS programs.

This budget proposal is extremely troubling and demonstrates that the Bush Administration does not consider HIV/AIDS to be a priority. For the second year in a row, the President is calling for no increase for HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs funded through Ryan White CARE Act and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). With the growing number of people living with HIV and increased cost of healthcare and treatment, this budget request is really a cut in funding.

In addition, care and treatment services received very inadequate increases in the final budget for the current fiscal year. ADAP is projected to be at a deficit of $82 million and efforts are underway to secure an emergency supplemental appropriation immediately. Many ADAPs across the country are already experiencing financial difficulties and one more year of inadequate funding will cause major limitations in treatment access. Look for upcoming TAN alerts on how you can help advocate for an emergency ADAP supplemental appropriation.

The President’s proposed budget also calls for no increase in spending for HIV prevention programs and the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, which funds prevention, care, and treatment services targeted to communities of color. Both of these programs were underfunded last year as well. The President is also asking for a modest (but not sufficient) increase for housing services funded through the Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS (HOPWA) program and a significant increase in funding for AIDS research programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On the international front, President Bush is asking for a $200 million contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. This is the same amount pledged by the United States last year and falls far short of the $7-10 billion identified as needed each year to fight the global pandemic.

Fortunately, President Bush’s proposed budget is just that-a proposal. Focus now shifts to Congress, which will determine its own spending levels for these programs. In the next few months, subcommittees in the House of Representatives and the Senate will hear public testimony about the importance of adequate funding for HIV/AIDS programs. They will then create their own budget proposal which will be reviewed and voted on by the full House and Senate. If there are differences between the House and Senate versions, a joint House/Senate conference committee will convene to negotiate a final budget.

It will take a strong grassroots campaign to ensure that these funding levels are increased by Congress. We must let our members of Congress know that President Bush’s budget for HIV/AIDS programs is unacceptable. Everyone living with or affected by HIV/AIDS should plan to be a part of this effort. If all of us took a few minutes in the next few months to write a short note to our federal representatives urging them to take a leadership role in the fight for adequate funding, it would make a huge difference.

Project Inform will be sending alerts and updates to Treatment Action Network members as the budget process gets underway. Please encourage your family, friends, co-workers, etc. to be part of this effort! They can join TAN by sending an email to tan@projectinform.org or on the web.