Fact vs. Fiction -- The Bush Record on HIV/AIDS
Log Cabin Republicans News Alert
October 11, 2000
(WASHINGTON) A George W. Bush administration has publicly committed to
work hard to prevent the spread of AIDS, both in the U.S. and around the
world.
But Gay Democrats have charged that Governor Bush would slash AIDS
programs and that "death and dying in Africa and the US would accelerate"
under Bush.
This charge against Governor Bush is completely false. Here are the
facts.
================================ The REAL Bush Record on
HIV/AIDS ================================
***Total funding (from state and from GOP Congress' appropriations) for
HIV medications and education increased from $39.8 million in FY 1994 to
87.9 million in 2000, an increase of about $48 million, or 120.6%.
***State general revenue (TX alone) funding for HIV medications and
education increased from $19.0 million in FY 1994 to $25.3 million in FY
2000, an increase of $6.3 million or 33.2%.
***Under Governor Bush, Texas is providing necessary state matching
funds to ensure receipt of all available federal funds appropriated by the
GOP Congress for HIV/AIDS.
***In the patient protection legislation signed by Governor Bush, he
ensured that people with chronic, disabling or life-threatening illness
like HIV/AIDS are able to request that a specialty physician be their
primary care doctor.
***As in many states across the nation with Republican governors, AIDS
deaths have declined dramatically in Texas under Governor Bush's
leadership.
***Governor Bush recognizes the continuing (and vital) need for a
public-private partnership in the fight HIV/AIDS, especially if we will
continue to cut the national death rate. Unlike Al Gore who attacks
private industry and fails to deliver adequate federal budget numbers for
AIDS treatment every year, Governor Bush supports private and public
research and development on drugs to combat AIDS.
***Governor Bush strongly supports the National Institutes of Health in
continued AIDS research programs, which have been funded by the GOP
Congress at amounts higher than the Clinton-Gore budget requests.
***Governor Bush strongly supports a permanent extension of the
research & development (R&D) tax credit to increase private
research into new treatments and an eventual cure for HIV/AIDS.
***Governor Bush strongly supports the Ryan White CARE Act so that
states and cities can adequately respond to those with AIDS, which has
been funded by the GOP Congress by hundreds of millions of dollars more
than the inadequate Clinton-Gore budget requests over the last five years.
***Governor Bush recognizes that the AIDS crisis in Africa goes far
beyond pricing, and involves a fundamental problem of the lack of a health
care delivery infrastructure in African nations most seriously affected by
AIDS. This is an international problem, needing an international solution.
Get the facts and learn more!
Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay and lesbian
Republican organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a
full-time national office and a federal political action committee.
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LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS: http://www.lcr.org
GEORGE W. BUSH FOR PRESIDENT: http://www.georgewbush.com
THE AFRICAN AIDS CRISIS: "Partnerships and Solutions: Fighting AIDS in
Africa" A white paper by the Liberty Education Fund:
http://www.libertyeducationfund.org/Aidsday.htm |