Keep promise, Bono tells Bush
2003-09-17 09:36
Washington - U2 rocker and activist Bono told President George W Bush of his fears of seeing the United States fall down on its promise to finance the battle against Aids.
"I can get very angry," said Bono on Tuesday.
The lead singer of U2 lent Bush his support after the president's January promise of $15bn to fight AIDS in the coming five years, mostly in Africa.
Bono said he met Bush early on Tuesday at the White House to ask him to put pressure on congress for the promised funds.
"He is very passionate about this problem, and I believe him when I say he is committed, ... but, we cannot agree on the numbers," said Bono, flanked by bishops in the Methodist church Bush attends regularly.
Several US churches launched a campaign on Tuesday to make good on the US promise to Africa by asking voters to call their representatives in congress so they would provide the funds Bush promised.
Bush included a total of $3bn in his 2004 budget bill to battle Aids, malaria and tuberculosis. The funds would be separate from United Nations funds for the same purpose.
Congress decides the final figures
Another Bush initiative, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), is a $1.3bn project aimed at persuading poor countries to adopt good economic and social management.
However, the senate and the House of Representatives, both of which are controlled by Bush's Republican Party, cut the Aids funding to $2bn and the MCA to less than $1bn.
The two houses of congress must reconcile the final figures.
The US churches, as well as Data (Debt, Trade, Aids, Africa), which Bono created, have launched their campaign to push those figures back up between now and the budget vote.
"We want the money now; we need the money now," said Bono, born Paul David Hewson.
Bono said he had met several lawmakers as well as candidates for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination during his stay in Washington.