John Boozman: “The bill before us, H.R. 1567, the Stop Tuberculosis Act of 2007, has been put forward by its supporters to provide a…”

“The bill before us, H.R. 1567, the Stop Tuberculosis Act of 2007, has been put forward by its supporters to provide a very significant increase in our foreign aid spending on anti-TB programs abroad. If we rely on figures gathered with the assistance of the Congressional Research Service, the bill would raise our spending on such programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development by about six times in the next 2 years. According to a brief letter received late last week from the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would increase such spending somewhat less, by somewhere between two and three times in the next 2-year period. Although it is possible that the latter estimate by CBO may inadvertently have included in its baseline comparison current funding levels for some anti-TB programs outside of the scope of this bill, it is clear that this measure seeks a major increase in the AID programs it covers. Along those lines, the bill strongly encourages, if not directs, the President to ensure that the funds that would be provided under this bill will be transferred to the World Health Organization's 'Stop TB Partnership' plan.”