The irony of the PEPFAR stalemate

For 20 years the bi-partisan program to fight HIV/AIDS has saved millions of lives. Now it is being held hostage to the debate over abortion.

President Bush in 2007 in Rose Garden urging Congress to fund PEPFAR. He is holding a child from South Africa whose mother is HIV-positive. PHOTO : George W Bush Presidential Center

This week Congress could make a decision on whether to reauthorize funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Created in 2003 under Pre…