4 things to know about the rescissions bill
2. PEPFAR funding will remain intact
The Senate’s amended version of the rescissions package eliminates a provision from the House’s version rescinding $400 million in federal funds appropriated for global health programs.
In a statement published Wednesday, the Evangelical charity organization World Relief noted that the $400 million in federal funds restored under the Senate version of the legislation includes funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR. As explained by World Relief, “PEPFAR has proven to be one of the most successful foreign assistance initiatives of all time, rooted in the compassionate recognition of the human dignity of all people and enacted through American leadership.”
“The program has helped save over 26 million lives by providing lifesaving HIV treatment, prevention and care to millions of people in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. It has kept families intact, supported millions of orphans, restored health and dignity to those affected and offered hope where there was once despair,” World Relief insisted.
Emily Chambers-Sharpe, director of health and nutrition for World Relief’s international programs, expressed gratitude “for the bold leadership of U.S. Senators across partisan lines in affirming the value of PEPFAR, and for the White House’s decision to exempt it from these cuts.”
World Relief Vice President of Advocacy and Policy Matthew Soerens echoed Chambers-Sharpe’s comments, thanking “the many Christians who have used their voices to advocate for PEPFAR in recent days, making telephone calls and sending emails to their congressional offices.” He asserted that “It’s clear that many Senators’ offices were listening to these constituents’ perspectives.”
The push to cut PEPFAR funding follows a May 2023 report from The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, alleging that “the Biden Administration has misused the program as a well-funded vehicle to promote its domestic radical social agenda overseas” including “abortion and promotion of LGBTI issues.”
In a September 2023 speech on the floor of the House, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., maintained that “the Biden plan instructs pro-abortion non-governmental organizations receiving PEPFAR funds to change laws and policies on abortion in PEPFAR targeted countries.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
