US senators exempt HIV/Aids funding from planned spending cuts
Multiple senators from both parties had expressed concern with cuts to Pepfar, which was launched under President George W Bush and has been credited with saving tens of millions of lives around the world.The Republican-controlled Senate can only afford a few defectors, assuming all Democrats vote in opposition. John Thune, the Republican Senate majority leader, said there had been a "lot of interest" in keeping the Pepfar funding intact.Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, told reporters after a White House lunch on Tuesday that she was "very pleased" that the cuts would be removed. Prior to the amendment, Collins had been vocal against the bill. She has not said whether the changes are enough to secure her support. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought told reporters that the White House was on board with the Senate amendment, meaning that in its current form President Donald Trump would be willing to sign it. In his second presidency, Trump has turbo-charged an effort to reduce government spending. Most of the cuts in the rescission bill are aimed at clawing back money that was previously earmarked for the American government's main humanitarian assistance body, USAID, which recently announced its formal closure under Trump. Trump's moves have led to drastic reductions in HIV/Aids clinics in South Africa and other countries, precipitating a shortage of life-saving medicine and care. Other cuts in the rescission bill are aimed at the funding for public broadcasters NPR and PBS.
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