Senate
subcommittee votes to boost ADAP spending

The Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations this week voted to boost spending on the nation's Ryan White CARE Act by $78 million in fiscal 2007, including an additional $55 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which provides free anti-HIV drugs to low-income HIVers. The funding increase also includes $15 million for state AIDS spending and slight increases for other Ryan White titles. The House Appropriations Committee last month approved a bill with no increases for ADAP.

"We are pleased the Senate subcommittee recognized the need for increases to the Ryan White CARE Act and ADAP," said Gene Copello, executive director of the AIDS Institute, in a statement. "The increases, while appreciated, are still not enough to keep pace with ever-increasing patient demand and costs. We will continue to work with House and Senate members to increase these funding levels."

The Senate bill boosts spending for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV prevention programs by only about $28.2 million, far less than President Bush's request of $93 million to institute a nationwide rapid HIV antibody testing program. It also increases funding to the National Institutes of Health by $200 million.

The Senate bill now moves to the full Senate Appropriations Committee.

Another Senate subcommittee on Tuesday voted to boost spending for the federal Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS program by only $8.8 million, far less than the $14 million increase proposed by President Bush. "We will continue to advocate for higher increases in HOPWA in coalition with other organizations as the congressional appropriations process moves forward," Copello said in a press statement. (The Advocate)