Senate rejects
ADAP measure

The Senate on Wednesday voted 85-14 to defeat an amendment to a spending bill that would have shifted $60 million earmarked for renovations and building construction at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the nation's AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, Congressional Quarterly Today reports. The amendment, sponsored by Republican senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, was defeated after senators from Georgia, which is home to the CDC, fought against it. The CDC funds that would have been redirected to buy lifesaving medications for low-income HIV-positive Americans will instead be used for such projects as building a scenic spot for employees at the agency's Atlanta grounds that includes a Japanese garden and stream. At least nine ADAPs around the country are facing such severe budget shortfalls that they've had to restrict admission to the programs and implement waiting lists. Several others have reduced the number of drugs they provide, tightened financial eligibility requirements, or implemented other cost-saving measures. (Advocate.com)