A GRAVE AND GATHERING THREAT: BUSINESS AND SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC AND A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE

摘要

In his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, President George W. Bush pledged substantial U.S. financial support over the next five years to help fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, surprising his political allies and enemies alike by committing significant funds to an issue that had received limited attention in his Administration. Congress passed legislation based on the Bush Plan in May 2003, and the President signed it into law on May 27, 2003. While it is now up to Congress to appropriate the dollars necessary to implement the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ("Bush Plan"), the President's bold proclamation before a television audience of both domestic voters and international viewers as elevated the political stature of the HIV/AIDS crisis, raising the hopes of countries most devastated by the virus and challenging other relatively wealthy nations to contribute their share.