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FRIDAY FAX April 11, 2003 Volume 6, Number 16

Dear Colleague,

The US House of Representatives is poised to vote for a huge infusion of
money --- $15 billion --- into the fight against AIDs in Africa, an action
enthusiastically supported by the Chrisitian Right. There is trouble,
however, in that the radical homosexual ethos is seeping into the bill.
Drafters seem to want to follow the disastrous course of throwing condoms
after a problem that is largely based in bad behavior, a recipe that has
only exacerbated the problem around the world. President Bush and
Christian conservatives support an abstinence based program. Stay tuned.

Spread the word.

Yours sincerely, Austin Ruse, President

Action item: Call or email your Congressman and tell him or her not to
support the Hyde Aids Bill since it does not sufficiently encourage
abstinence education. This will help out immensely. Do it now. Go to
http://www.house.gov to find the email address of your Congressman.

PS Last week we forgot to mention a group that was very important to the
success of our Capitol Hill lobbying day. It would not have worked without
the active support of Family Action Council International.
___________________________________________________________

US House International AIDS Bill Demotes Abstinence Training

The House International Relations Committee this week approved an
AIDS bill that differs in significant ways from Bush administration
positions,
especially concerning the prominence of abstinence training for AIDS
prevention. The bill has raised concerns among social conservatives that,
as President Bush's $15 billion HIV/AIDS initiative for Africa takes shape
on Capitol Hill, it will prove impossible to keep the legislation in line
with the President's policy objectives to curb the epidemic.

The Committee voted against an amendment to provide "prioritized
funding for programs promoting abstinence over those that focus on condom
use." The abstinence amendment, introduced by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA),
sought to ensure that abstinence and fidelity training would be a priority
in at
least some US-funded programs. Most HIV/AIDS programs now employ what
is called an "ABC" program - Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms. However,
critics contend that many of these programs, including those funded by the
US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UNAIDS, downplay
abstinence and fidelity, and, instead, operate as condom distribution
programs.

The International Relations Committee also defeated a "conscience
clause" amendment, again introduced by Rep. Pitts, which would have
required the US government to "respect the views of faith-based
organizations
by not requiring such organizations to participate in any aspect of any
assistance program if it violated their views as a matter of conscience."
In other words, the amendment sought to protect religious groups, such as
the Catholic Church, that might welcome US funding for abstinence and
fidelity training, but deeply oppose condom distribution. If the amendment
had passed, condom distribution would not have been a prerequisite for
participation in the US program.

The bill allocates the spending of up to $1 billion in fiscal year
2004
for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global
Fund, a clearinghouse for the distribution of healthcare funds, was called
into being by UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan, and is promoted by Ted
Turner's UN Foundation. Social conservatives have criticized such a
possibly large US donation to the Global Fund, since there would be no way
to guarantee that the money would be used in compliance with Bush
administration policy guidelines.

Finally, the House bill would allow US international AIDS funding
from
subsidizing groups that promote or perform abortions, or that provide
needle-exchanges. It would also force President Bush to seek Senate
approval for his choice to administer the AIDS initiative, thereby
granting Senate Democrats significant leverage over the appointment.

One portion of the bill welcomed by social conservatives concerns
prostitution and sex trafficking. An amendment proposed by Rep.
Christopher Smith (R-NJ) prohibits any funding to groups that do not
explicitly oppose these practices. Every Democrat on the Committee voting
against the amendment, but it passed on a party-line vote.

No vote on this bill has yet been scheduled in the whole House.

Copyright - C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

Source: C-FAM (c-fam@c-fam.org)