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House votes to cut global health funding

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Health Care

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The Big Story

House votes to cut global health funding

The House on Thursday narrowly passed a “recissions” proposal to cancel $9.4 billion in money Congress already appropriated, including $900 million in funding for global health initiatives. Four Republicans voted against it.

© AFP via Getty

The vote codifies cuts championed by the Department of Government Efficiency, which was led by billionaire Elon Musk.

It includes slashing $500 million of the $6 billion appropriated in fiscal year 2025 for global health programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that are within the Department of State and $400 million of the $4 billion appropriated for USAID global health programs.

Included in that plan is ending all funding for Gavi, a global program that purchases shots to help vaccinate children in developing countries against some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

PEPFAR is seen as one of the most successful U.S.-led international aid programs and has typically enjoyed bipartisan support. It's credited with having saved 26 million lives and enabling 7.8 million babies to be born without HIV infection.

Global health experts and proponents of PEPFAR have said the cuts will have a devastating impact on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. It would endanger access to lifesaving antiretroviral medication and put millions of children and adults at risk.

The White House wants to phase down its investment in PEPFAR and have other countries absorb most of the cost.

“It is something that our budget will be very trim on because we believe that many of these nonprofits are not geared toward the viewpoints of the administration, and we’re $37 trillion in debt,” White House budget director Russ Vought told appropriators last week. “So, at some point, the continent of Africa needs to absorb more of the burden of providing this health care.”

Advocates agree the program wasn't meant to last forever, but the groundwork hasn’t been done to make sure PEPFAR can be transitioned successfully. The White House plan would cut off funding without a plan.

But the Senate will have the final say on how sweeping the clawbacks are. Congress has 45 days to act, and not every Republican senator is on board.

Senate Appropriations Committee chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has said she is opposed to PEPFAR cuts, and others have expressed concern about the other funding cuts in the package, like public broadcasting programs.

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

 

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