Bush Requests $200M for Global HIV/AIDS Funding Originally in Rejected $5B Emergency Spending Package

President Bush yesterday asked Congress to allocate nearly $1 billion in additional funding, including $200 million for international HIV/AIDS efforts, Reuters Health reports (Fox, Reuters Health, 9/4). Bush last month rejected $5.1 billion in contingency spending contained in the fiscal year 2002 supplemental spending bill (HR 4775) but promised to submit a separate request for some of the items, including $200 million for international HIV/AIDS programs, contained in that bill (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/14). Bush's new spending request was sent as amendments to his spending proposal for FY 2003 (Dinan, Washington Times, 9/5). A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said that the Bush administration wants the funding contained in the FY 2003 discretionary spending section of the House-adopted budget resolution (H Con Res 353). But John Scofield, a spokesperson for House Appropriations Committee Republicans, "complained" that the request would increase the rest of the budget but does not suggest corresponding cuts (CQ Daily Monitor Midday Update, 9/4). A House Appropriations spokesperson said that it is unclear whether some of the funding would be included in the FY 2003 Foreign Operations spending bill, which is scheduled for a subcommittee markup today (Ghent, CongressDaily, 9/4). All 13 appropriations bills for FY 2003, which begins Oct. 1, are still pending in Congress (Washington Times, 9/5). Reuters Health reports that while the additional spending has "broad support" in Congress, the request could receive a "cool reception" from lawmakers who are "furious" that Bush rejected the contingency spending contained in the FY 2002 supplemental spending measure (Reuters Health, 9/4).