SENATE WATCH-10/27/2003 (#1-12:00) [Leavitt (EPA) nomination]

[goobergunch]

108th Congress
1st Session
Monday, October 27, 2003

The Senate convenes at 12:00 noon.

The Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 2800, the FY 2004 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

At 2 PM, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Michael O. Leavitt (UT) to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, with a vote on the motion to close further debate on the nomination to occur at 5:30 PM.

[MaineDem]

1. DeWine Amendment

Senate will vote on restoring funding to the HIV/AIDS issue today. Ther was an editorial in the Portland Press Herald urging our two GOP Senators to support it. Collins has said she's backing it and Olympia is undecided.

The editorial states:
This summer, however, Bush and some Republicans in Congress decided that $1 billion should be cut from the first $3 billion payment. That puts lives and American credibility in jeopardy.

According to people in field, full funding in the first year could prevent 1.6 million people from being infected with the virus, and 400,000 could receive antiretroviral drugs that would prolong their lives.

When Bush announced our commitment at an international summit in July, other countries also pledged to do more. Cutting back our support now could threaten the trust of our allies.

An amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Dewine, R-Ohio, is scheduled for a vote today and would restore $289 million to the program, bringing the first year's payment up to $2.4 billion.

http://www.pressherald.com/viewpoints/editorials/031027data.shtml