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Republican Senators Block Trump Administration’s Bid to Reclaim $400 Million in Unspent PEPFAR Funds

The agreement secures $400 million in unspent funding for PEPFAR in exchange for Republican backing of larger foreign aid cuts

FILE - Florence Makumene holds HIV medication that she received through funding from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), along with her hospital records book, at her home in Harare, Zimbabwe, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli, File)
PEPFAR's HIV/AIDS relief efforts narrowly escaped being stripped of funding.
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Overview

  • Since its launch in 2003, PEPFAR has delivered life-saving HIV treatment to more than 25 million people and facilitated 5.5 million HIV-free births.
  • Republican senators reached a deal with the White House to shield $400 million in unspent PEPFAR funds by voting to support broader spending cuts.
  • Next year’s fiscal 2026 budget request for the program stands at $2.1 billion, a 38 percent drop from the current allocation.
  • UNAIDS and partner agencies report that sudden U.S. aid reductions have destabilized drug supply chains, led to more than a dozen clinic closures and cost over 8,000 HIV program jobs in South Africa.
  • Although PEPFAR retains a waiver for essential treatment, new restrictions on prevention services remain in effect under the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze.