House Committee Defeats Amendment to Provide $250 Million in International HIV/AIDS Assistance

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday voted 30-25 against an amendment to a fiscal year 2001 supplemental appropriations bill that would have provided $250 million for international HIV/AIDS relief programs, CongressDaily/AM reports. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, would have allocated $100 million for "bilateral aid," $100 million toward a "multilateral trust fund" and $50 million to assist economic development in poor African countries. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), the chair of the subcommittee, said he "reluctantly" opposed the amendment, "noting that a multilateral trust fund does not yet exist" and that international HIV/AIDS funding "would receive a sizable increase" in fiscal year 2002 appropriations legislation (Ghent, CongressDaily/AM, 6/15).