WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to triple money to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world, giving new life and new punch to a program credited with saving or prolonging millions of lives in Africa alone.
The 303-115 vote sends the global AIDS bill to President Bush for his signature. Bush, who first floated the idea of a campaign against the scourge of AIDS in his 2003 State of the Union speech, supports the five-year, $48 billion plan.
The current $15 billion act, which expires at the end of September, has helped bring lifesaving anti-retroviral drugs to 1.7 million people and supported care for nearly 7 million.
Colorado’s Democrats voted in favor of the bill, except for Rep. John Salazar, who did not vote. The state’s Republicans voted against it.
