One bill that is coming up is the so-called Continuing Resolution. It will fix 2007 spending levels at the same as 2006 ones, and will effect AIDS and HIV funding for the third world. That funding was set to increase by about 1 billion, from 3.43 billion to 4.36 billion. It's not inaccurate at all to say that 1 billion less will mean a lot of lost lives, and while sometimes people laugh that a billion isn't much money these days - in Africa a billion goes a hell of a long way.

I don't usually plug petitions (it seems like there's one every day) but if this funding is something that you care about I'd appreciate it if you'd head over and sign the petition. Sometimes petitions do matter, and on an issue like this, where a lot of Senators don't really care one way or another, finding out that normal Americans give a damn could actually make a difference.

Go here for the petition.