Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
|
|
Washington Blade - September 15, 2006
Lou Chibbaro Jr.
Carol Thompson, who was named director of the office in May 2004 and assumed the unofficial title of U.S. "AIDS czar," left her job on Feb. 10 to take a new position at the State Department.
Last month, White House spokesperson Emily Laramore said the White House was "in the process of hiring someone" to replace Thompson.
But this week, another White House spokesperson declined to comment on whether Thompson's replacement would take office anytime soon, saying the White House never provides details on personnel matters.
"We clearly look forward to seeing the office filled, and with someone who has knowledge and experience in HIV and AIDS," said Rebecca Haag, executive director of AIDS Action, a national AIDS advocacy group.
"We had heard months ago that they were about to name someone," Haag said. "We don't know of anything happening right now."
The post remained unfilled for nine months before President Bush named Thompson to replace gay physician Joe O'Neill, whom Bush appointed to the AIDS czar job in July 2002.
Thompson, who was O'Neill's deputy, served as acting director of the office during the nine months before the president chose her as permanent director. AIDS activists expressed concern that the delay in naming O'Neill's permanent replacement - and the current delay in naming Thompson's replacement - shows a lack of commitment to domestic AIDS issues.
Gay Republican activist Jim Driscoll, a former member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS appointed by Bush, said White House domestic policy staff member Yuval Levin has been carrying out some of the AIDS office functions since Thompson left in May.
Levin's makeshift work at ONAP comes at a time when Congress appears deadlocked over a bill to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act program, which allocates millions of dollars in federal AIDS funds to cities and states.
Officials with AIDS advocacy groups met Sept. 11 on Capitol Hill in a closed-door session with representatives of Congress and the Bush administration in what sources called a failed attempt to work out a compromise bill.
A bipartisan coalition of Senators and House members, including Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), jointly introduced the Ryan White reauthorization bill earlier this year. Several key AIDS groups have joined New York Sen. Hilary Clinton (D) in opposing the bill on grounds that it would decrease the amount of federal AIDS funds for large cities like New York and Los Angeles.
A failure by Congress to approve a reauthorization bill before it adjourns for the year in November could lead to confusion and "chaos" over the doling out of federal AIDS funds next year, AIDS activists have warned. And the vacant director's position at the White House AIDS office comes at a time when the Bush administration must act decisively on this issue, some activists have said.
Bush's mixed history with AIDS czars
When Bush took office in 2001, White House sources leaked information to the press saying the president was considering dismantling the AIDS office. AIDS activists and Democrats objected, alongside some Republicans, arguing the office was needed to coordinate AIDS programs and policies, and its elimination would signal that Bush lacked a commitment to fight AIDS.
The administration quickly backed down, saying it never seriously considered shutting down the AIDS office. A short time later, Bush named gay Republican activist Scott Evertz as his first director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.
Bush named gay physician Joe O'Neill as Evertz's replacement. O'Neill, a nationally recognized specialist in AIDS, had worked in the Clinton administration, where he ran the Ryan White AIDS program.
When Bush later appointed O'Neill as deputy coordinator of the newly formed U.S. global AIDS office at the State Department, AIDS activists were hopeful that Bush would name someone with similar medical and policy related experience.
060915
WB060908
Copyright © 2006 - The Washington Blade. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of The Washington Blade content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Blade. The Washington Blade shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The Washington Blade.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .