These days, the president is hard-pressed to make a popular decision. Nevertheless, he certainly deserves credit for keeping his promise in 2003 to commit $15 million over five years to fight against HIV/AIDS. Now that the legislation is set to expire in 2008, the president has made yet another move worthy of praise.

President Bush is not only seeking to renew the current commitment, he is also asking Congress to double that amount to $30 million. The White House plans to focus the increased spending to treat 2.5 million people, prevent 12 million infections and provide additional care for 12 million people — 5 million of whom are orphans and other children. This is a lofty, but achievable, goal. In three years alone, the program helped pay for the treatment of 1.1 million people in 15 countries.

But as the global community has seen, HIV/AIDS is a growing and vicious disease — one that has robbed millions of families of their loved ones. The president's call to reauthorize and increase our pledge is a necessary one, which Congress must approve. The fight, however, shouldn't stop there.

Education, treatment and care will help prevent millions of new infections, while saving those already infected. But such life-saving programs require an ongoing commitment — one that we as a country must continue to make.