Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

The legacy for George W. Bush won’t really be written for a number of years. I suspect President Bush will remain a controversial character because he was not a fiscal conservative and because of the war in Iraq. However, there is one very positive aspect of his presidency that he is rarely given credit for.

On Monday, the Washington Post posted an article about President Bush’s role in helping fight AIDS in Africa. In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush stated, “Tonight I propose the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa. This comprehensive plan will prevent 7 million new AIDS infections, treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs and provide humane care for millions of people suffering from AIDS and for children orphaned by AIDS.”

The President then worked to make those words come true. President Bush launched The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The article reports:

PEPFAR gathered the support of an odd coalition. Its congressional sponsors included Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), a pro-life leader, and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.); Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). Religious conservatives joined with traditionally liberal health organizations to push for the measure. It was signed into law four months after it was announced.

Implementation was swift, under a theory that PEPFAR’s first administrator, Ambassador Randall Tobias, described as “Ready, fire, aim.” By late 2005 — with the help of PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — there were about 800,000 people on treatment. That number today is more than 5 million.

Because of a few words in the State of the Union address and the willingness to put those words into practice, millions of people are alive today. That is impressive.Enhanced by Zemanta