While Democrats and Republicans disagree over the Bush administration's foreign policy, they do agree that under President Bush, the U.S. has taken a decisive role in saving hundreds of thousands of lives in the global battle against AIDS and other infectious diseases.

Launched in the president's State of the Union speech in 2003 and approved later by Congress, the $15 billion program has focused on problems in Africa and other impoverished parts of the world. It is due to expire in September.

Last week, however, the Senate voted to triple spending for treatment and prevention programs, to $48 billion over the next five years. House leaders are expected to go along with the plan in the next few weeks.

Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was quick to credit Bush for his leadership. By getting out front in the global war against AIDS, malaria and other diseases, the U.S. has set an example for other world powers to emulate, Biden said.

The 2003 program set a goal of reaching 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa, where the death toll for AIDS among women and children has been highest. Since its start, the program has helped HIV-positive women give birth to almost 200,000 infants who are HIV-free. Worldwide, the U.S. funds have supported anti-retroviral treatment for more than 1.7 million people.

Besides expanding HIV/AIDS treatment, the new legislation puts an increased emphasis on tuberculosis. It sets up a five-year plan to treat more than 4.5 million TB cases and authorizes $4 billion for the treatment of the disease. (TB kills 1.7 million people every year and is the leading cause of death for people infected with HIV.)

The new program marks a rare, bipartisan agreement between Congress and the administration and shows the world this country's compassion toward those threatened by poverty and disease.

—- Mike King, for the editorial board (mking@ajc.com)