Bill Clinton made several promises regarding AIDS policy during his first presidential campaign. In particular, Clinton promised, among other things, to initiate a ôManhattan Projectö for AIDS research (Act Up, 2002, p. 1). Many activists believed that a Clinton Administration would offer a sustained and comprehensive federal effort to address AIDS (Rimmerman, 1998, p. 1). Clinton did not fulfill many of his promises regarding AIDS, largely due to political considerations. But at least one writer suggests that disorganization among AIDS activist organizations may also have been responsible for the Administration's inability to change significantly AIDS policy. However, reporters note that the Clinton Administration did fully fund the Ryan White CARE Act, created a national task force on AIDS drug development, and increased funding for AIDS research and education by 18 percent within the first two years (Rimmerman, 1998, p. 1).
Brief History of Federal Funding for AIDS Programs
Between 1981 and 2004, the US government invested over $150 billion in combat
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