Conservatives Protest Obama’s AIDS Bill
AIM Column | By Cliff Kincaid | July 15, 2008
There is a strong possibility that Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and original sponsor of the legislation, could also vote for it.
In another sign of the leftward drift of the national Republican Party, only 24 Republican senators voted on Tuesday for an amendment to the global AIDS bill to prohibit AIDS funds from being used to pay for forced abortions and sterilizations in Communist China. The $50 billion legislation, which is still being debated on the Senate floor, has the support of Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama, as well as organizations associated with his financial backer, billionaire leftist George Soros.
There is a strong possibility that Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and original sponsor of the legislation, could also vote for it. But that may depend on the ultimate form the bill takes on the Senate floor and whether conservatives can put enough pressure on him to reject it.
In a provision that has ramifications for the immigration debate, the bill would allow AIDS-infected aliens into the U.S., despite the obvious health dangers.
Only $15 billion had originally been proposed in the bill, known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Democrats added the extra money, bringing it up to $50 billion, and President Bush, apparently determined to leave a “legacy” of massive increases in foreign aid spending, decided to go along with the Democrats and now favors its passage.
Bucking the President and the powerful AIDS lobby, which includes dozens of liberal-left organizations, conservative Republican Senators Jim DeMint, David Vitter and Jeff Sessions are trying to limit the scope and funding of the bill. They have already succeeded in exposing the use of AIDS money in funding forced abortion programs and the luxurious lifestyles of international AIDS bureaucrats.
But the sheer size of the spending bill, at a time when Americans are losing their homes and savings in a deteriorating economy, has itself become a major issue.
“Passing $50 billion in new spending at a time when our nation is deeply in debt is completely irresponsible,” DeMint declared. “We’re burying our kids and grandkids under a mountain of debt while we refuse to make tough decisions. American families are facing sky-high gas and food prices and have to sacrifice to make ends meet, but Congress just keeps spending and passing the bill on to someone else. It’s not right and it’s time for it to stop.”
DeMint proposed an amendment on Tuesday to prohibit funds in the bill authorized for the United Nations-affiliated Global Fund from going to organizations that perform coercive abortions and involuntary sterilization in China and other countries. But 70 senators voted to table and therefore kill the amendment.
Only 24 Senators voted for it. They were: Allard (R-CO), Barrasso (R-WY), Bond (R-MO), Bunning (R-KY), Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA), Coburn (R-OK), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Ensign (R-NV), Enzi (R-WY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Kyl (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Sessions (R-AL), Smith (R-OR), Thune (R-SD), Vitter (R-LA), and Wicker (R-MS).
Senators Obama and McCain didn’t vote on the DeMint amendment, apparently because they were on the presidential campaign trail. The entire vote tally can be viewed on the Senate website.
While the bill purports to save lives, primarily through the use of controversial anti-AIDS drugs, DeMint noted that the bill funnels a large amount of money into a U.N.-affiliated agency that is complicit in the killing of unborn children in China.
He explained, “While the U.S. is by far the largest contributor to the United Nations Global Fund, sending over $2.5 billion to the organization since it began in 2001, it has not been subject to the Kemp-Kasten policy that prevents tax dollars from supporting forced abortions. The new PEPFAR bill greatly increases the U.S. commitment to the Global Fund with more than $10 billion over the next five years. At least two large Global Fund grants in 2004 and 2006, totaling over $70 million, were given to various Chinese agencies including the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC), the organization tasked with implementing China’s ‘one-child-per-family’ policy.”
Under that policy, women are forced to undergo abortions if they are pregnant with a second child.
Drawing attention to corruption in AIDS programs, Senator Vitter of Louisiana is proposing an amendment that would set up a U.S. Inspector General for the Global Fund and require the agency to provide a transparency certificate affirming that it is using American taxpayer dollars effectively and efficiently.
Currently, he says, the U.S. has no way to independently verify how U.S. funds to the Global Fund are spent.
The Global fund has its own Inspector General, and he has already uncovered corruption in the agency. John Donnelly of the Boston Globe, who blew the whistle on how the U.N. has greatly exaggerated the number of AIDS cases around the world, has reported that the Global Fund’s former Executive Director Richard G. A. Feachem was found to have made extensive use of a little-known private bank account, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on limousines, expensive meals, boat cruises, and other expenses.
A U.S. Inspector General for the Global Fund could subject the organization to far more scrutiny.
“I still believe this legislation goes way beyond the original scope of the president’s first global AIDS bill, and, worse, there appear to be many troubling policies woven into it that a small, committed group of senators have tried to fight,” said Vitter. “At the very least, I hope that my amendment, which would set up a U.S. Inspector General for the Global Fund, will be included. Since $10 billion of our taxpayer dollars will be going to the fund over the next five years, I believe the American people deserve to know what that money is being used for and whether it is being used effectively. The International Global Fund has a long record of waste and corruption and a short one for accountability. We need much greater oversight, and my amendment will help provide that.”
Not surprisingly, homosexual groups have been strong supporters of the bill, in particular the provision lifting the ban on AIDS-infected aliens. The main group pushing for the entry into the U.S. of those infected with HIV/AIDS is Immigration Equality, which receives funds from the Open Society Institute of George Soros, the Ford Foundation, and other liberal and left-wing donors.
The pressure is so intense that Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council was forced to apologize for saying during an interview that he would “much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to American society.” These remarks were deemed objectionable by the homosexual rights lobby.
On the other hand, the Immigration Equality organization recently gave one of its “Safe Haven” awards to Andrew Sullivan, an HIV-positive homosexual journalist in the U.S. who was born and raised in England and insisted that HIV “improved my sex life.” Sullivan, a popular figure in the liberal media, is advertised as a “gay conservative” but was exposed for soliciting so-called “bareback” or unprotected anal sex on the Internet.
On his Daily Dish blog, Sullivan rails against the “HIV travel ban” and lists some of the organizations lobbying for the entry into the U.S. of untold numbers of AIDS-infected aliens. They include the ACLU and the Open Society Policy Center, another Soros front organization.
It seems clear that at least some of these aliens could function as new sexual partners for those demanding their entry, increasing the number of AIDS cases in the U.S.
Cliff Kincaid is the Editor of the AIM Report and can be reached at
7 Comments
I know the phrase “America First” has already been taken, but it should be that Americans’ desire to be charitable should begin AT HOME. Geez, $50 Billion could seal our borders with the right number of personnel to do it; it could go a long way toward funding BHO’s “support” of Faith-Based Initiatives; we could fund the Social Security “Lock--Box” with that kind of money!! “Hooollleeeee CRAP!” as Ray Romano’s dad used to say. America FIRST, dang it! Line-Item Veto, Term Limits for ALL Branches of federal and State Government, Right to Life for the unborn. That’s what’s needed here. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!
I just called one my Senators, Liddy Dole, who voted with the liberals on this amendment.
Go to firstgov.gov for anything you might want to note about contacting any branch of government, or Indian reservations for that matter (it’s REALLY inclusive).
Snail mail is always the most effective way to contact your elected officials, because it takes more time, effort, and expense, so the one making contact obviously has strong feelings about the topic at hand. Anyone can call or send an email in 5 minutes. Few will take the time to write a letter.
BTW, save letters as Word docs, and this way, the next time you want to contact your elected official, you can pull it up, “Save As” a new name (by date is good), delete the body and add a new message, change the date, sign it, stick it in your mailbox with correct postage; the postman will mail your letter for you with no long lines or drives to a post office.
However, if you call, have the number of the bill that concerns you, eg, S.1234 (I made that number up, so...), and they’ll probably put a check or minus sign beside the legislation’s number, eg, S.1234.
I’m having to deal with a death in the family today, so I called in, telling the receptionist that I didn’t appreciate seeing one of my Senators voting with the liberals (she’s up for re-election this year, and I told her that this was a bad plan just as it is with McCain, upsetting the base). If it’s really important, I write snail mail.
Well I wonder how much BHO and backers will be able to skim off the top? If you want to get rich, all you have to do is get elected, it doesn’t matter which office you hold. We need to find some one out side the senate to run for office. How about that Pickens guy from Texas?
“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”
This was a quote Obama made about a civilian national security force that he wanted to implement in our country for its own security. If nobody sees the red flag hear we will be in some trouble come election time. My biggest problem is how Obama, his campaign, and other journalists haven’t questioned or answered the contents of this ‘civilian national security force’. What is it? What’s the details? Who’s paying for it? Who and how are people appointed?
Even if the plan is well intended, the public needs to be reassured that the budget which would have to be bigger than the 439 billion the military already spends wouldn’t lead to some martial law ‘police’. If you ask me this sh*t creeps me out.
As far as the article, the government clearly has no concern about the citizens of its own country. To allow a bill that would let illegal immigrants who have AIDS basically flood the country and put money in foreign aid is just not practical.
I agree that help is needed in these countries and its a task that saves lives or extends them but you have to take into account that most of these countries are third world countries. They will most likely still be poor or discriminated by their corrupt governments.
If we for once focused our attention towards our citizens, our country, our sovereignty we’d be in a better and healthier position to help the rest of the world. This method of spending billions on foreign issues just to save Bush’s legacy is eating away at taxpayers wallets and is destroying our infrastructure.
Today I called my congressional office and the election office of Senator Ted Stevens. I plan to call Senator DeMint’s (S.C.) office later to thank and encourage him et al. As for my Congressional Office staff, I asked that the office personnel write my message and rationale for agreement and/or disagreement. I always ask for a response.
Also, called Senator Murkowski’s News Release office to object to her work to bury earmarks for Native Indian benfits within the Global Aids Bill. Murkowski, no doubt Stevens too, earmarked Funding for Alaska Native Organizations’ eligible for a “slice” of a $290 million pie.
Lisa, as a so-called Catholic, I don’t think your work on behalf of the Alaska Natives outweighs your effort to kill an amendment that would work to keep women safe from forced abortion. Speaking as a woman and Traditional Catholic, I think your duplicity excommunicates you from Mother Church and ranks you with the Left as truly anti-woman. You stand against important aspects of the Republican Platform, too. Declare yourself as a Democrat. Shame!
July 16 at 9:14 am | #1 | Link
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. LETS TAKE CARE OF IOWA FIRST. 40 DAYS BEFORE 911 48 SENATORS VOTED TO BURN THE FLAG. ONE WAS MATCH MCCONNELL. HE WAS ON FOX TODAY NO FLAG PIN. EVEN OBAMA WEARS A FLAG PIN UNDER DURESS.THIS BILL STARTED OUT AT 15 BILLION AND THE DEMONCRATS JACKED IT UP TO 50 BILLION. ARE THESE THE SAME FAT CATS WHO MADE MILLIONS BOARD SITTING ON FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE JERK? DO YOU KNOW HOW LOW BUSH IS IN THE POLLS. HIS RATING IS 25%. DID YOU KNOW THE HOUSE AND SENATE IS 9%? SPINICH IS 10%. SAVAGE HAS NAMED FOUR DEMONCRATS WHO BILKED FANNY FRICK INCLUDING JAMIE GERELICK THE QUEEN OF 911 COVER UP HEARINGS AND LOUIS FREEH THE FBI MIS DIRECTOR. I THINK HE ALSO MENTIONED HAROLD ICKES. THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN YOU COULD SEND A BLACKBAG MAN TO WALL STREET
AND GET PARTY FAVORS. HAS ANYBODY SEEN THE ELK HILLS STRATEGIC OIL RESERVES LATELY? WILL CHUCK HAGEL PLAY JUDAS AT OBERAMBREGAU THIS YEAR?