Giuliani says he'll continue or expand Bush Global AIDS funding!

Felipe and his mom Katherine traveled to a Giuliani town hall in Nashua, NH -- Felipe got the third question: "I am a medical student here and have helped to take care of patients in this country and abroad. I am also deeply concerned about national security. Colin Powell said that one of the great threats to America is global destabilization due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We have made promises to children in Africa -- children like these (gesturing to the kids sitting in front of him) -- but who are orphans, that we have broken promises to. The amount of development aid we give is much less than we have promised. We promised to give 0.7% of Gross National Income, or 70 cents on every 100 dollars, to global development, but we only give about 25 cents on every hundred dollars. As President, will you commit, not only to increasing our foreign development aid -- now this is not the military but development -- to 0.7 percent of our Gross National Income, and also commit 50 billion dollars of that to AIDS over the next five years?" Giuliani responded, Well, you know President Bush made historic commitments and has given record amounts to AIDS, and I will commit to continuing funding at those levels, and maybe slightly increasing them. I think malaria and other issues are important also. After the event, Giuliani signed some autographs and beehived to the exit as fast as he could. Mom got a handshake and didn't let go. "Mayor Giuliani, one of the important things you talked about was government waste. There are abstinence only programs in Africa that even Laura Bush says are ineffective. Will you commit to funding programs that are really effective?" Giuliani, "Well, I don't know what Laura Bush said." Mom, "The abstinence-only programs are ineffective, and we need ones that encourage family planning." Giuliani, "Well, I won't do anything that will increase abortions." Mom, "This is about services to prevent unwanted pregnancies." Giuliani, "Well, that's good then."