Bush Seeks $30B To Fight AIDS In Africa

President Urges Congress To Double U.S. Commitment To AIDS Program Over Next 5 Years

(CBS/AP)  President Bush urged Congress on Wednesday to authorize an additional $30 billion to fight AIDS in Africa over five years, doubling the current U.S. commitment.

"This level of assistance is unprecedented and the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in human history," Mr. Bush said.

Sharing the stage with an HIV-positive mother from Africa, Mr. Bush said "the generosity of the American people is one of the great untold stories of our time," CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

The money would provide treatment for 2.5 million people under the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, Mr. Bush said.

Through March 31, the program has supported treatment for 1.1 million people in 15 countries, including more than 1 million in Africa, he said. The program's original five-year mandate, which called for spending $15 billion, expires in September 2008. Mr. Bush asked Congress to renew it.

"When I took office, an HIV diagnosis in Africa's poorest communities was usually a death sentence. Parents watched their babies die needlessly because local clinics lacked effective treatments," the president said.

White House press secretary Tony Snow said the specific goals for the next five years — after Mr. Bush leaves office — call for treatment of 2.5 million people, prevention of more than 12 million new infections and the care of more than 12 million people, including 5 million orphans and children.

The president said the money "this money will be spent wisely," in nations where it can have the greatest possible impact and be sustainable.

Mr. Bush also announced that his wife, Laura, will visit four African countries — Zambia, Mali, Mozambique and Senegal — that have benefited from the U.S. program and report back to him on her findings. The trip will take place June 25-29.

The president's announcement comes before next week's annual summit of industrialized nations in Heiligendamm, Germany. Germany is pledging to make Africa a central issue and is calling for more aid, further debt relief and improved financial oversight.

[klingon69]

THE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY!
Posted by bluestardad at 06:41 AM : May 31, 2007

We already are!!!

[likeitis5050]

perception5 America is a very rich country thanks to our President and his policies. The defcit is falling like a rock thanks to record "corporate tax receipts" and payroll taxes coming from 10's of millions of Americans that work for "Big Business".

Please provide your resource/reference for this bit of information.

I am sure in 10 or 20 years Bush will be forgiven and credited for things that, by comparison to all the harm he's done to this country, mean nothing to us now. Nixon was given a little credit before he died, after years of healing...I'm sure this nation will find it in their hearts to forgive Bush...one day. I am more concerned that this country will find its way back from living under Bush's fear-based paranoia for 8 years to once again let the world see a nation of generous and hopeful people leading by example the virtues of living in a democracy.

[bluestardad]

AMERICAN PEOPLE CONTACT THE SPONSORS AND ADVERTISERS OF THE MEDIA AND TELL THEM YOU WONT BUY THEIR PRODUCTS UNLESS THEY COME CLEAN AGAINST THE BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS ABUSE OF POWER!

[grumpas]

perception5: Considering you are a f..... moron! I would imagine you do think Bush is a great guy! Like the old saying goes 'birds of a feather flock together'! Where is all the charity at home??????

[barbaraf4]

"In the past 40 years, Western governments have given Africa more than half a trillion dollars. Yet Africa is even poorer than it was before the foreign aid began."

Posted by coffeehead

This is because their government officials, dictators and all, do not actually live in the countries they claim to govern. Thanks to US funding, they don't have to live in the squallor and poverty their countrymen have to.

I can give you an example - not spot on, but pretty close. For years, maybe forever, before his death, Arafat lived in Paris. That was where his wife and children lived, were educated, shopped, visited doctors, etc. Now, maybe he slept on the ground, in a tent when he was playing war with the Palistinians, but the rest of the time, he lived in Paris, France.

This is similar to the Iraqi Ex-Patriots who live in the US, letting us fight their war.

[perception5]

perception5, Too much information ! You are one of THEM. Flim Flamming the nation on behalf of Big Pharma. Don't look now but the day of reckoning is coming. American People First.
Posted by DRinUK at 07:44 AM : May 31, 2007

..dear DRunk, Sir you simply do not have a clue on what your talking about.

Your statements don't fly against "reality" but thanks for your corrupt lying propaganda.

You're extremely contaminated....... get "intouch" with "reality"

[forthepeopl1]

JULY 21 2007 IS WHEN AMERICANS WILL BE FREE AGAIN

EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO HELP WITH THIS SHOULD BE TALKING TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS AND TELLING THEM THAT AMERICANS ARE READY TO TAKE WASHINGTON ON AND ITS NOT A FEW AMERICANS ITMILLIONS OF AMERICANS THAT WILL TAKE BACK THERE COUNTRY..

I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY BLOOD FOR ALL AMERICANS TO GET OUR COUNTRY BACK TO WHAT OUR FORFATHERS WANTED.

AM A VET AND AM READY TO TAKE CHARGE OF THIS AMERICAN BOYCOT/COOP IF WE THE PEOPLE DONT DO THIS NOW WE WILL BE GIVENING UP ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND WHAT ALL OUR VET HAVE DIED FOR..

DAVID A BELANGER,VET US ARMY,[e-mail]

ok so wants to join in on this great american REVOLUTION


they cant kill millions of americans at once so if we charge them all at once we will win and take them out and hang them all..

just like in the old days of the west...hang them from the trees in front of the whitehouse and see how many start telling the truth about what they have done to all us americans..


if the american NOW dont stand up and start a NATIONAL REVOUTION ON THIS WASHINGTON BULL S/H/I/T/ THEN we as TRUE AMERICANS can say nothing!!!

its time to take all this *** and take our government back now..

they are the ones that started this and we will finnish it now..we the people will take our country back and everyone in washington can sit there and thinks we the people are ok with what they are doing..go ahead and let them think that we are comming to take them out

[drinuk]

perception5, Too much information ! You are one of THEM. Flim Flamming the nation on behalf of Big Pharma. Don't look now but the day of reckoning is coming. American People First.

[dogband]

Like ole W gives a *** about the common man. A $30 million attempt to boost his horribly low ratings. Does he think the average American is so stupid? But, judging from how many people he has fooled, I guess that collectively we are.

[drinuk]

Someone had better tell this Muppet that charity begins at HOME. To take American money to fund Big Pharma's poison and stuff it down the throats of poor Africans is yet another excercise in genocide. Make no mistake America, this money will go to the likes of Glaxo, Pfizer and all the rest of the Bush Big Pharma Scam Merchants AND they will kill more than they cure.
South Africa will not permit their junk so they now need help from Bush to open up other markets.
Wake Up America, do not give him the money.

[perception5]

The GREAT AMERICAN ECONOMY ....... The Greatest Story Never Told by our Corrupt Liberal MSM Wolfpack

America is a very rich country thanks to our President and his policies. The defcit is falling like a rock thanks to record "corporate tax receipts" and payroll taxes coming from 10's of millions of Americans that work for "Big Business".


PEPFAR is in it's 4th year. I have personally been to Kenya and Uganda to the Points of Service for this program..............Great thiings are being done in very poor areas.

Americans should thank our "Big Drug Companies" because they are completely engaged in this great effort.

The Big Drug Companies provide us NGO's with "brand name drugs" at very large discounts called "Global Pricing" of which all NGO's pay the same price. Everything is very "transparent".

Our President has done more for Aids victims than anyone else on the planet. Unfortunately our President is a Conservative Republican and Americ's press is Corrupt and Liberal.

I just thought folks should know the truth. I doubt if we will ever see 60 minutes, 20-20, CNN Presents ever do a story with our President regarding this great program.............and I doubt anyone will ever know how much Big Drug Comanies contribute......................REALLY SAD

[cfin5]

It must be election time again. Yeah! We'll just whip out our checkb,.......uh, I mean the citizens of the United States' checkbook and $30,000,000,000.00 will fix the problem. (The republican parties re-election problems that is) And say it is for the children again too!.....Tell me, what is the difference between this kind of "compassionate conservatism" and world socialism? Nothing at all but the label.....We know who the "bill" is to be paid by again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

[candojj1]

bulldoody. Congress passed the agoa act in 2000. See http://www.agoa.info/. However the beneficiaries of this supposed aid to sub saharan African poor people have been those Africans that are oil rich like the Nigerians. All other countries that have no middle class remain as poor as the day they started. The $30 billion is just another $30 billion that will be spent in the Nigerian oil fields or in the other rich African countries while the rest of poor Africans die. Why did Bush wait 7 years to make a statement about Darfur or aids? Its because Wolfowitz is out and Bush needs the support of the Europeans to get his American imperialist banker approved as head of the world bank.
Too much to say in 1500 words about dependency theory and what should be done. The capitalist multi- nationals have a strangle hold on these countries and won't let go. That's the bottom line.

[bluestardad]

IF THIS CHIMP SPENT THE MONEY ON AIDS HE DID IN IRAQ WE WOULD HAVE A CURE BY NOW!

THE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY!

[samthetvcat]

"He may have a point. In the past 40 years, Western governments have given Africa more than half a trillion dollars. Yet Africa is even poorer than it was before the foreign aid began.

Two studies by World Bank economists say foreign aid is one of the problems because "higher aid levels erode the quality of governance."

Posted by coffeehead at 05:22 AM : May 31, 2007

How on earth does Bush time and again end up making decisions that involve $$$ but leave people worse off than if he hadn't gotten involved in the first place? What an unbelievable disaster he's been . . .

[coffeehead-2009]

This is very good news and a step in the right direction, especially since such little money can do alot of good there

yep - a lot of good bribing corruption for their oil,gas and diamond resources. Remember the Pat robertson diamond mine scam? sadly it is a step - but in the direction of more imperialistic capitalist steps...


XXXX

So much is stolen because we rely primarily on governments to administer foreign aid, and many African governments are kleptocracies.

"What's holding down Africans is actually the bad governments, the bad policies that make it difficult for Africans to make use of their own property," Shikwati said. "What the aid money is doing to Africa is to subsidize the bad policies that are making Africans poor."

He may have a point. In the past 40 years, Western governments have given Africa more than half a trillion dollars. Yet Africa is even poorer than it was before the foreign aid began.

Two studies by World Bank economists say foreign aid is one of the problems because "higher aid levels erode the quality of governance."

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=1955664&page=2

[samthetvcat]

"JUST HEARD THAT THE BUSH ADMINSTRATION IS GOING TO LET APPROX. 2-MILLION IRAQI- REFUGEES INTO THE UNITED-STATES"
Posted by JetRanger7 at 08:42 PM : May 30, 2007

Wow is this for real? If it is, I can't help but wonder whether Bush secretly feels like his legacy would be vindicated if refugees ended up committing an act of domestic terrorism. Given that Muslims in secular democratic nations such as France and Great Britain have not yet completely successfully resolved the tension between their faith and their adopted culture as a whole, one necessarily has to consider the possible national security risks associated with an influx of Iraqi refugees. I think Bush probably rationalizes his dark thoughts the way he always does - by telling himself that if people had just let him have his way Iraq would have been a success and the refugees would have stayed over in Iraq . . .

[samthetvcat]

On it's face it's great to hear that people suffering have a shot at getting treatment, but bringing the figure of $30 Billion down to reality, I have to wonder where this money is supposed to be coming from - Bush spends $$$ like he's a spoiled rich kid who never learned the value of a dollar . . . which he is, except that he's also the President.

He came into office with a balanced budget and the national debt is now over $8 Trillion. It's frustrating because this is money that is actually going to a worthy cause - just imagine what other good works could have been done with the hundreds of Billions that haven't borne fruit in Iraq. BUT, living in the real world Bush has in fact squandered Billions of dollars and one has to wonder whether it's really in the budget to be able to afford this level of pledge. Terrible question to have to ask given that peoples' lives are at stake . . . this is all Bush's fault - ugh!

Also I just have to put this out there, but I sometimes feel like some people try to buy their way to heaven - anybody else feel like Bush may be trying to do Missionary work on somebody else's dime?

[giovanni1964-2009]

$30 billion less to combat domestic crisis/issues that we have in the USA. Will there come a day when we reinvest in our own country? Yes, we maybe the wealthiest country in the world, but we have many issues we can care and solve if we did not continously try to solve the world's problems. The AIDS crisis is real and we as a nation should help, however, I'd like to see a headline that reads "USA Puts Down $30 Billion towards Americans and their families" Lets reinvest in ourselves.

[trumpetstuff]

So along with the medical help, will there actually be safe-*** education, condoms, etc.? Or will the American Taliban go over there to preach abstinence?