On a related note

The Senate has passed legislation lifting the 20-year old ban on HIV-positive people from visiting or emigrating to the US. The measure, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry and Gordon Smith, was part of a bill providing $50 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in poor areas of the world.

Presently, the United States remains one of a dozen countries that also include Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Russia, which banned travel and immigration for HIV-positive people.

As a sign of the strength of the opinion on the matter, right-winger Jeff Sessions had brought up an amendment to strip out the Kerry-Smith language, but faced such opposition that he dropped it without a vote. The final bill passed 80-16.

There are some differences between this bill and a previously-passed House version, but House leaders have indicated they will accept the Senate version and Bush is expected to sign it.