Obama Budget Bans Federal Funding For Needle Exchange, Breaking Campaign Pledge

President Obama's budget released Thursday takes a step backward from a controversial political position he had taken during the presidential campaign.

Obama, during the primary campaign, pledged his support of needle exchange programs to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. When he took over the White House, the administration website affirmed: "The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users."

Yet Obama's budget includes language that bans spending federal money on needle-exchange programs.

White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said the administration isn't yet ready to lift the ban - but Obama still supports needle exchange.

"We have not removed the ban in our budget proposal because we want to work with Congress and the American public to build support for this change," he said. "We are committed to doing this as part of a National HIV/AIDS strategy and are confident that we can build support for these scientifically-based programs."

He added, "In recent years, Washington has used the budget process to litigate divisive issues and score political points. This practice, which both sides have engaged in, has limited our ability to tackle our major economic challenges. President Obama decided not to play politics as usual with this budget and while he remains committed to supporting the program he wants to address that through the normal legislative process."

The White House website no longer features the president's support of the program, however. See the before and after here.

"It's hard to imagine how removing mention of support for a proven lifesaving program from the White House website is part of a grand strategy to 'build support' for syringe exchange," said Tom Angell, a spokesman for the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Obama's budget also includes a provision known as the "Barr Amendment," which prevents the District of Columbia from implementing a medical marijuana law that voters passed in an overwhelming referendum. Obama has pledged not to use Department of Justice resources to raid medical marijuana clinics in states where it is legal.

UPDATE: The Center for Global Health Policy writes in, noting that Obama also underfunded the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which funds a wide variety of prevention efforts, including needle exchange in Eastern Europe, where drug addiction and HIV/AIDS rates are both soaring:

Another major disappointment for global health advocates is the Obama proposal for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Countries rely on the Fund, in particular, for funding for tuberculosis programs, and so far the Fund has also provided over $600 million for health system strengthening. The Global Fund requested $2.7 billion from the US for 2010, but the Administration is proposing only $900 million, the same level as 2009. Unless Congress goes above the Administration's proposal, the US will miss a major opportunity to use the Fund to leverage more donations from Spain, Germany, and other countries, and AIDS, TB and malaria programs will be stalled.

Ryan Grim is the author of the forthcoming book This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

Comments

[alice09]

Dear President Obama,
Prevention of these diseases would save money and health care costs.
I must say it is extremely important to me that you keep your campaign promises.

[Nonpartay]

The article said: President Obama decided not to play politics as usual with this budget and while he remains committed to supporting the program he wants to address that through the normal legislative process.

Sounds like he's still planning on it.

[newshawk14]

President Obama needs to stand a little taller amongst the republican right wing. This has much
more to do with public health and disease prevention, than trying to incorporate the party of "NO".

[wadenelson1]

dumb dumb dumb

a single case of HIV that's prevented probably saves taxpayers at LEAST a million dollars

[blues101]

it's more than HIV and AIDs - it's every blood-borne disease. Hep C is in epidemic proportions in the u.s. - the large baby boomer population who experimented, young people are new cases of that sleeping virus that will eventually kill thousands. Cause and effect - Liver cancer on the rise through Hep C, which is usually contracted by sharing needles. So it's important to do that needle exchange, it's not just for addicts, it should be for anyone who does drugs "recreationally" using a hypodermic. The spread of these diseases demands it.

[yappnmutt]

they should just legalize opium. heroin would go away ending the need for needles. besides opium is better and better for you.

[Nonpartay]

Please. :( It's all horrible, a terrible drain on our society.

[cinesimon]

It amazing how little people know about this subject - on the next page you may be interested in a debate I have been having with a chap who thinks that all needle users already have HIV/aids and therefore really don't need mew needles.

And this person claims to be a distributor of needles - whether at an exchange as he initially indicated, or as a commercial distributor or pharmacist I'm not sure - but the facts some people claim to know, but instead insert what they believe the facts to be based on their prejudice, is just bizarre.
And rather offensive.

[SOLERSO68]

I will vote for Obama again in 2012 if he dosent go completely blue dog, but he is really turning out to be a short sighted dooshbag on drug policy.

[JohnBoi]

Agreed. Unfortunately, drug policy is one of the most important issues yet to be tackled. Let's hope he does the right thing in the near future and funds needle exchange. No time for the timid......fund needle exchange, legalize marijuana, and release the non-violent criminals incarcerated for possession. THAT'S the way to balance a budget, both federal and state.

[Daniboy]

Obama breaks another promise-non news.

[heal57]

Don't sell him short yet; he's done plenty in 3 months....legalizing pot would be good, but he may get there in time. There's so much to do. He's changed so many things; give the guy the benefit of the doubt. We've not seen a prez like him.......

[rsprags]

President Obama will keep his promise on this issue. He knows what he is doing. He has a time table on how to handle these issues. I'll explain this one more time; there is a strategy to get all of these things handle according to a time table. Stimulus First, Stabilize the banks second, and Healthcare is the next item on the agenda. Please do not try to interrupt the strategic plans; this is a marathon not sprint. President is working for the great good-looking at the BIG picture; and he is going to need to work with all the senators and representatives to get thing done. He does not need to alienate these folks for no reason and miss out on the big issue Healthcare. The President and his team has been working on the right method and timing to implement our and his agenda. Please for your cause not against your cause. Please look at your alternative to our current president. Looking at the i d i o t i c tape concerning Gitmo should be an indication to all bloggers who support the President of the type of i g n o r a n t people we are dealing with calling themselves repurgs.

[Oldtt]

Hook, line, and sinker.

[PJay1]

Dream on.
I woke up. And a RUDE awakening it was.

[AFAN]

I don't see nothing wrong with cut spending needle exchange!

[ethancorso]

Unfortunate, but a small price to pay in the larger scheme of things.

[Oldtt]

Unless it's the first of many such small prices.

[MountainPenelope]

"We have not removed the ban in our budget proposal because we want to work with Congress and the American public to build support for this change..."

What's the problem here? President Obama cannot do everything at once and no campaign promise has been broken as yet. If at the end of his first term, the ban has not been lifted, there could be cause for complaint. Gosh, they man has been in office less than six months.

Finally, it is true that the program WILL be much stronger if it is implemented via the legislative process.

[tailgateshirts]

HE JUST DOUBLED FUNDING FOR DRUG COURTS!

Cmon guys. You react to one article without the knowledge of another..

[jsanti7]

Damn nasty problem and since we in the US do not allow Medical maintenance let alone real rehab why take it off the table .. I am not a real strong legalize it kind (pot excluded ) but at least medical maintance might work along with the most important education

[AnnfromCA]

These types of programs are so hit and miss with results because of distribution and access issues.

[cinesimon]

And as is always asked of you Anne: do you have any evidence apart from ideology backing up such a statement?

[AnnfromCA]

Not on this one. Mostly, sure.

I don't like all this piecemeal health policy deals.

[harriettubman]

HIV/AIDS is not slowing. It has increased since the day it put fear in people in the 80s. I don't believe in the needle exchange program. if you can't educate people on how to protect themselves from getting it, how on earth will exhchanging a *da*mn needle work?

I'm a health professiona and seen just about everything. It's time to stop pouring money into some of these programs. Giving methadone to a *her*oin a*d*d*i*ct keeps them *a*d*d*ic*ted.

[cinesimon]

Check out NZ's program - they've done wonders. Almost all needle related diseases are gone - and they had a HUGE problem(highest rate per capita in the western world ten years ago) due to the spread in the South Island of opium poppies during the Chinese Gold Rush in the early 1900s.
All addicts will find away. Our choice as health professionals is will we knowingly allow the to inject dirty needles, while we can give them a clean one which will reduce the risk of disease dramatically.

As for your methadone argument: cold turkey does nothing - the addict will jump back on, 9 times out of 10.
Methadone enables an addict to get stable whilst settling down, get a job, and get used to living normally.
Once a comfortable life is on the go and counseling has coaxed some of the underlying issues out to be dealt with, the weaning of methadone can begin.

it's a wonderful tool. Not for all, but it really is affective for the right person(somebody who truly want their life back) and done right.
The methadone itself gives no high, therefore it's impossible to abuse it.

[Ben Bergman]

I would believe it more if they didn't take it down off of the website.