House, Senate Budget Negotiators Agree to $100 Million Payment for U.N. Global AIDS Fund

House and Senate negotiators agreed on a $6.5 billion military appropriations bill that includes $100 million for the Global AIDS and Health Fund, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Fram, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/20). The full House will likely address the bill today, and the Senate may send the legislation to President Bush next week. In May, Bush asked Congress for $200 million to fund the first U.S. contributions to the fund, but the Wall Street Journal reports that lawmakers' decision to approve $100 million this year "is jumping ahead of Bush and signaling" that they will "spend more" before next year. The House last night planned to address a $15.2 million foreign-aid bill that includes a second $100 million payment to the fund, and lawmakers will likely debate a third payment in September (Rogers, Wall Street Journal, 7/20).