NYT on PEPFAR
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm | posted by Virginia SimmonsA great NYT editorial on PEPFAR’s stall in the Senate:
Unfortunately, the Senate’s version of the bill, which was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in a 18-to-3 vote, has bogged down in procedural uncertainties. A group of seven Republican senators, led by Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, has placed a hold on the bill unless their concerns are met…
These objections are unpersuasive….Mr. Coburn wants to ensure that the bulk of the American money goes for treatments that will save lives. But earmarking a specific percentage of funds to be spent on particular activities hampers the flexibility and effectiveness of the program, according to both the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Government Accountability Office…
The bill is currently stalled because Senate leaders seem reluctant to bring it to the floor absent an agreement that would limit debate and expedite a vote. Some advocacy groups that don’t like specific provisions would prefer to wait for a new president and Congress. But no one can be sure that, in a faltering economy, there will still be bipartisan support for a $50 billion bill next year. It would be best to pass the bill in time to strengthen the president’s hand at the G-8 summit in early July.
Read the full piece here.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
While I TRULY appreciate this editorial by the NY Times today and believe that it can only help the passage of the Lantos-Hyde Act, I still want it noted that the DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE is also responsible for some of the game-playing and hold up on the re-authorization of PEPFAR.
There is enough BLAME & SHAME FOR BOTH PARTIES on this one.
What needs to happen IMMEDIATELY is for both parties to stop this nonsense and BRING PEPFAR TO A VOTE ON THE SENATE FLOOR before the G8 summit and simply to RE-AUTHORIZE PEPFAR!
It is the MORAL thing to do. It is also the SMART thing to do for the future economic and political security of our country.
And the sooner this bill is passed by the Senate, the sooner the Senate’s good reputation can restored.
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE - debbie
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