During House consideration of the AIDS relief bill--which formed the basis of debate in the Senate at the request of the President-an amendment was inserted into the bill which would require that one-third of the AIDS relief funding be used for sexual abstinence-until-marriage programs. During the Senate debate on the House bill, Senator Diane Feinstein (DCA) proposed an amendment which would have struck that provision. Progressives supported Feinstein's measure because, in their view, the mandated funding for abstinence programs would tie the hands of those working to prevent the spread of AIDS and preempt spending on more effective measures to combat the AIDS virus. Republicans voted unanimously in opposition to Feinstein's proposal and the measure was rejected 45-52.