House Appropriations Panel Approves Washington, D.C., Budget; ‘Fights’ Over Needle Program Funding Expected When Full Committee Meets

A House Appropriations panel unanimously approved a $5.3 billion FY 2002 budget for Washington, D.C., yesterday, including $2 million for the Food and Friends program that delivers meals to HIV/AIDS patients, the Washington Post reports. The full House Appropriations Committee will meet next week to begin final approval of the budget. According to the Post, "fights are expected" over a 1988 ban on using public funds to allow the district to provide clean needles to drug users. AIDS prevention advocates have asked committee Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) to end the ban, but he "was only able" to remove new restrictions added last year by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.). The committee has voted to end the prohibition in the past, but was overruled by the full House (Hsu, Washington Post, 9/7).