Times are tough. Let's pass a $50 billion AIDS bill.

According to Accuracy in Media, U.S. taxpayers already spend $200 billion at home and around the world to fight AIDS and it has not resulted in any cures or a vaccine, and anti-AIDS drugs are coming under increased scrutiny for their ineffectiveness and side-effects.

However, as the American Dollar becomes weaker, the national debt rises and gas prices soar, maybe we need to spend an additional $50 billion dollars on the issue world wide in places such as Russia and China. That was the thinking in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, who passed a measure to do just that in a 80-16 vote.

According to one Republican Senator who sided with Democrats on the issue, the additional spending will surely make the world love us. "It's one of the strongest ways the U.S. has made an impact on a number of countries where our diplomacy hasn't been effective in the past," said Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.)

Both Obama and McCain were original sponsors of the bill, but neither voted on the measure because they were busy on the campaign trail. Go figure.

The 16 nay votes included one from a staunch McCain ally, Senator Lindsey Graham of SC. Total nay voters were as follows: Allard (R-CO), Barrasso (R-WY), Bunning (R-KY), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Ensign (R-NV), Graham (R-SC), Gregg (R-NH), Hutchison (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Kyl (R-AZ), Sessions (R-AL), Vitter (R-LA), and Wicker (R-MS).

As support rose for the measure, Senators Jim DeMint, David Vitter and Jeff Sessions attempted to reduce the size and reach of the bill.

"It's not a good time to be talking about spending billions of American dollars around the world, no matter how good the cause might be," DeMint said.

Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky said “We need to ensure that these funds reach the neediest countries and not those that can afford their own space and nuclear programs, such as China and Russia. At a time when China is tripling their defense budget and manipulating their currency, I have a hard time sending billions of dollars over there…”

Of course the voices of reason never seem to get too far. Senator DeMint’s amendment to limit the countries in which the AIDS money could be spent was defeated 70-24.

Accuracy in Media said that the passed measure for additional spending "demonstrated the complicity of both major political parties in out-of-control spending designed to benefit a powerful special interest group."
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ref:
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/senate-passes-obamas-aids-bill/,
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-aids17-2008jul17,0,1671855.story