About AIDS
By Sandy Bartlett, Fri., Jan. 3, 2003
The Senate Under Frist: Good News?
The recent deposing of Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, as Senate majority leader, and the installation of Bush's good friend, Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, was coolly accomplished -- all without seeming to dirty White House hands. Sen. Frist certainly will be more dependable in serving the administration, but what does this portend for HIV/AIDS?
The only physician currently serving in the Senate, Bill Frist had a well-rounded medical career before entering political office eight years ago. He has made a specialty of health issues, such as Medicare, and has his peers' respect on topics like AIDS research and patients' rights. Sen. Frist sometimes volunteers his spare time doctoring at D.C. public housing projects, and he has made several trips to Africa to work on malnutrition and other medical issues.
Despite his avowed "passion" for public health, however, AIDS advocates have criticized Sen. Frist for not fighting for more HIV funding. While recognizing the funding needs, for example, he seems disposed to support Bush's reneging on a promise of $500 million to combat AIDS in Africa, so as to pay for the putative "war on terror." Nonetheless, the respected Global Health Council praises his work in fighting AIDS worldwide.
As a senator, Dr. Frist has a conservative record (he is, after all, from Tennessee), but he seems less dogmatically ideological than Trent Lott, who was certainly no friend of those concerned about HIV. As a physician and Republican Senate leader, Sen. Frist may be in a unique position to help Congress and his buddy Bush to understand and take action on complex health issues, particularly AIDS -- provided he is so moved. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, we need to continue exerting pressure on all our legislative representatives -- state and federal -- to keep HIV/AIDS from slipping off the burner.
