A few things, though this is, regardless, a PR blunder of biggy proportions:
1. I've seen it reported that she is trying to remove Henry Hyde's name from the title of the bill and replace it with Jesse Helms. That's
not accurate, the proposed amendment changes "This act may be cited as the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde ..." to "This act may be cited as the Tom Lantos, Henry J. Hyde, and Jesse Helms..."
2. Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde both recently passed away so it is possible that Dole (or which ever staffer put this in front of her for rubber stamping) didn't think it through and just though the bill name was just a tribute to recently deceased congress critters and that Helms should be included.
3. It isn't just an AIDS funding bill but also a bill for funding efforts against malaria and tuberculosis. I have no idea where Helms stood on those issues.
But if done out of spite or some sense that Helms specifically should be mentioned on the issue of AIDS it is pretty skanky. I'm not familiar in detail with her specific policy positions on gay rights, AIDS research, etc., so for a bit I'll give the benefit of the doubt on this just being an ill-considered pro forma amendment.