PicturedBush delivers his State of the Union in Washington. Photo by Patsy Lynch
President George W. Bush reiterated his support for a constitutional amendment that would 'protect
the institution of marriage' in his State of the Union Address delivered before Congress and the nation Feb. 2. Vice President Dick Cheney and Rep. Dennis Hastert watch Bush deliver his speech in D.C. Photo by Patsy Lynch
He also called for reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act that provides a large portion of the prevention, medical, and social services for people living with HIV infection. In doing so he said, 'We must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases: African-American men and women.'
Bush framed his support for the marriage amendment as a 'responsibility … to honor and pass along the values that sustain a free society … . Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.'
'Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be redefined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.'
The President did not mention by name the Marriage Protection Amendment ( MPA ) introduced on Jan. 24 by Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard. The list of Republican cosponsors has grown to 26.
Washington Post political reporter Robert G. Kaiser called Bush's remarks 'a bone' thrown to the Christian right. He does not expect the President to push for the measure nor does he expect that it will pass. He made the comments during an exchange with readers on the Post's Web site after the address.
His colleague media critic Tom Shales wrote in the next day's edition that Bush's call ''to protect the institution of marriage,' was a euphemism for banning same-sex marriages, though Bush didn't mention them. The man who likes to speak, as he did in this speech, of America's great 'compassion' and who has been holding forth loudly ... on the sanctity of freedom apparently believes both compassion and freedom should have their limits.'
'President Bush said that government should never undermine family values and family responsibilities, but in the very next breath, called for passage of a constitutional amendment that undermines GLBT families and denies them the same responsibilities as others,' said Human Rights Campaign spokesman Steven Fisher. 'Sadly, once again, he valued the extremism of a few over the greater good of protecting all Americans, including GLBT families.'
National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Dave Noble was even harsher. 'President Bush's support for this amendment is the only immoral action mentioned in is speech that threatens the stability of American families.'
Noble said Bush's earlier remarks in favor of such an amendment stoked antigay referendums in 13 states last year. 'History will severely judge any president who casually calls for such a radical rewriting of our Constitution without thought of the consequences.'
'Separate has never meant equal for African Americans and the same holds true for millions of gay and lesbian couples in America,' said Jasmyne Cannick, a member of the board of the National Black Justice Coalition ( NBJC ) . She called for the same opportunities to participate within society 'regardless of race, gender-identity, or sexual orientation.'
Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Patrick Guerriero urged the President and Congress 'to focus on expanding freedom and liberty for all Americans' and not push the MPA. In doing so, they 'can improve the lives of all Americans, including gay and lesbian Americans.'
David Corn, a columnist for The Nation, wrote, 'While Bush referred to the 'culture of life' and decried activist judges, he said nothing directly about abortion. Can we then presume then he believes gay marriage is a more urgent matter than a practice his supporters compare to mass murder?'
AIDS
'Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease,' Bush said. 'And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases: African-American men and women.'
No one will deny that resources have to be flexible in addressing the shifting populations and locations of the epidemic. But framing reauthorization in terms of 'rates of new cases' downplays the fact that services must be delivered not just to new cases but to the cumulative caseload of those living with HIV. And that remains predominately gay males of all colors.
'The President is on the right path,' said Marsha Martin, executive director of AIDS Action in praising his leadership on domestic AIDS issues. The organization forwarded a list of nine principles that it sees as a basis for shaping discussions around reauthorization of Ryan White.
'It's welcome for the President to acknowledge the importance of the Ryan White CARE Act and to acknowledge the huge impact on African Americans,' said Paul Feldman for the National Association of People With AIDS ( NAPWA ) .
'Now we call upon the President to turn his words into reality. The Bush administration has essentially flat-funded the domestic AIDS portfolio for the entirety of the first term. We remain hopeful that the budget will support increased funding.'
NBJC's Alexander Robinson, a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton administration, noted that the Bush administration's support for 'unproven abstinence-only programs' and prevention initiatives targeted 'primarily to individuals who are already infected' has led to significant reductions in federal funding for prevention programs for Black gay and bisexual men.
'We hope the President will direct his new Secretary of Health and Human Services to follow the science and support the full scope of HIV prevention and education efforts.'
While they loathe to discuss it on the record, there is a growing fear among many AIDS advocates that the Bush administration's focus on HIV within the Black community is driven more by political outreach than a real concern with the epidemic.
It also dovetails with what some saw as efforts during the first term to defund AIDS groups whose messages were different from those preferred by the administration. The most vocal and effective parts of the AIDS advocacy community historically have served a predominately gay white male constituency.
Others noted the absence of any mention of the President's international AIDS initiative that is set to spend $15 billion over five years. Reports are the program will receive a substantial increase in funding. There have been no reports of similar increases in spending for domestic AIDS programs.
