Senate Cuts Boost in Global AIDS Relief; White House Persuades GOP to Await New Plan

The Senate abruptly scaled back plans to boost global AIDS relief this year after the White House urged key Republicans to withdraw their support. The unanticipated development came just as Congress appeared to be finalizing plans to spend historic amounts to fight the HIV epidemic.

Hours before a vote on Thursday on a $500 million AIDS proposal, White House budget director Mitch Daniels persuaded the measure's author, Sen. Bill First (R-Tenn.), to reduce it by 60 percent. Aides said President Bush would make his own announcement over the next few weeks to establish his commitment to the issue.

Supporters of AIDS relief expressed doubts that the President's initiative would approach the level abandoned by Senate Republicans. "Do we have any faith that the White House will make up for it? No," said Paul Zeitz, executive director of Global AIDS Alliance. "It's bait and switch," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who, like many of her colleagues, assumed the Senate would approve at least $500 million in relief and perhaps as much as $700 million. Had she known that Frist, the only physician in the Senate, and Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) would pull their support at the 11th hour, "I would have organized my colleagues. I would have done something," Boxer said.

The $200 million in AIDS spending actually approved by the Senate was part of a $31.5 billion emergency bill directed mostly at providing money as soon as possible to combat terrorism. Aides to Frist and Helms said they agreed to drop their support of the more costly AIDS measure only after being assured that the White House would unveil a "comparable plan to combat international AIDS, perhaps as early as next week. We're going to end up at the same place by taking another route," said Frist spokesperson Margaret Camp.

The change drew charges of betrayal from advocates who said they have no reason to believe the White House will follow through on its commitment. "In no way do I believe that there is a deal or agreement I can accept," said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). "This was a real jolt. As we address the challenges of 9/11, we must not forget there are other challenges that affect the lives of millions of people." Boxer said, "We had an opportunity to be a real leader on this, and we blew it."

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