Bible Belt Conservative Senators Still Blocking HIV/AIDS Bill (PEPFAR). Unbelievable!

Since I'm so quick to criticize President Bush and his policies, it is only fair that I give credit where credit is due. President Bush's program to fight HIV/AIDS is one of the most heralded foreign policy successes of his presidency. In 2003, President Bush helped push through congress The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a five-year, $15 billion American Government initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Since the bill was enacted the number of HIV/AIDS inflicted people around the world who are receiving lifesaving anti-retro viral (ARV) drug treatment for free through the Global Fund-financed programs have gone from 300,000 to 1.75 million people. These numbers are proof that the U.S.'s investment in the Global Fund (a public-private programs to eliminate the world's most deadly yet preventable diseases) is working. The U.S. contribution to the Global Fund has significantly helped provide infrastructure, prevention and treatment, services, food and free ARV treatment to those infected and affected by AIDS around the world through the PEPFAR program. This is a life-long commitment, so it is critical for the U.S. to maintain its strong support.

However, the bill expires in September and the Congress has scheduled debate on a new bill: The Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. The new legislation would:

1. Authorize $50 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis during the next five years,
2. Provide treatment for at least three million AIDS patients, prevent 12 million new HIV infections,
3. Provide care for five million AIDS orphans, train and support 140,000 new health professionals,
4. Authorize $4 billion for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis,
5. Authorize $5 billion to fight malaria.

Now, this is what I expect from my government. With all the wasteful spending in Washington, including $341 million a day for the Iraq War, it is easy to see why I am so supportive of the President's Bill.

The bill passed in the House with bi-partisan support (308-116), and enjoys broad support in the Senate. However, 7 Conservative Republican Senators, known as the "Coburn Seven" (including our Senator from NC) -- Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), David Vitter (R-LA), Jim Bunning (R-KY), and Richard Burr (R-NC) -- are preventing the bill from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote. If you know me, I'm sure you can image how upset I was when I heard this. I was in my car headed to the coast for work when my friend Steve Cook emailed me the story. I was outraged beyond belief. I called Jess to tell her how upset I was and she helped calm me down. Anyway, I made it a priority to contact Senator Burr over the phone and send a letter to his office to voice my disbelief and disappointment over his actions to block this legislation. And to think all seven of these Senator's come from Bible Belt districts, AND run on Christian family values. We have to do better as Evangelicals in making our values known to our representatives. This legislation embodies the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is what he called us to be in our daily lives, to work tirelessly to serve the poor, oppressed, diseased and outcast. That is the definition of bringing the Kingdom of God from heaven to earth

What possible reason is there to block legislation that would help heal millions of people across the globe? Well, it's that "safe-sex education and condom distribution thing" that has the Conservative Republicans sitting with their panties in a wad. See, the conservatives don't like condom use, even though it has proven effectiveness, and these seven Senators refuse to allow the bill to pass unless the bill includes strict stipulations on how the money is spent, including 33% of the prevention money to be spent on abstinence-only education. They want to stop any safe-sex education that includes condom distribution or needle distribution from being funded. Does anyone else believe that instead of trying to push their narrow, rigid "view of morality" on people of different religions and cultures across the globe, maybe the Coburn Seven should make healing God's children the number one priority and be realistic about moving people out of the hell of HIV/AIDS, without making the help conditional upon thier narrow "view of morality." This bill has broad, bi-partisan support and these seven Senators are getting in the way -- unbelievable!

The Coburn Seven also point to the new price tag, $50 billion instead of $15 billion. They object to what they describe as a "mission creep" -- the funding of "food, water, treatment of other infectious diseases, gender empowerment programs, poverty alleviation programs" -- as though people surviving on AIDS treatment do not need to eat, work, or get their TB treated. And the senators are concerned that AIDS funds might be used for things such as abortion referrals and needle distribution, though the legislation doesn't mention these possibilities. So they are pushing for the extension of the spending mandate requiring that at least 55% of PEPFAR resources be used for treatment (where the money is--for their business and doctor friends), on the theory that this will starve "morally dubious" prevention programs. I told Richard Burr's office in my phone call and letter that I agree, we don't need to "mission creep" we need to "mission explode."

I'll let one of the seven senators blocking this bill explain this to the AIDS inflicted women across the globe who are systematically being raped, or the young mother who prostitutes herself because the only other option is starvation and death for her and her three children, or the orphaned child whose parents have succumbed to the disease. These people don't have a choice when it comes to the Coburn Seven's limited "view of morality."

This is a story I will continue to follow. And if you want to do something about it now, you can sign this petition. Or better yet, please call Richard Burr (202-224-3154) and voice your support for the new PEPFAR bill. It's real easy to contact his office and some nice staff person will answer the phone and record your support for the bill and opposition to Burr's blocking its passage. If enough people in NC contact his office, he will get the message that we do not appreciate him standing in the way of the reauthorization of PEPFAR.