Since 2003, the United States has pursued a global agenda to fight HIV and AIDS, an initiative credited with saving more than 25 million lives. But the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)has suddenly received pushback from Republicans citing allegations that the program’s funding is being used to indirectly support abortions — claims that health advocates, Democrats and PEPFAR officials say are baseless.
“If PEPFAR doesn’t get reauthorized, the program can’t continue — but it could send some pretty chilling messages to people in the field who depend on PEPFAR for life support,” said Jennifer Kates, the director of global health and HIV policy at KFF, a health policy organization.
Treasured by medical professionals and praised by foreign leaders, PEPFAR is the world’s largest health program devoted to a single disease, strengthening U.S. diplomatic ties and boosting public health. PEPFAR has distributed courses on treating HIV, collected data on the virus, and has improved partnership with international governments and organizations, costing more than $100 billion. It has been credited for stabilizing health systems with little support such as sub-Saharan Africa which was devastated by HIV.
But now, many people are accusing that PEPFAR’s funds are helping prop up abortion providers. “It’s just dumbfounding to me that the charge has been taken seriously,” said Shepherd Smith, a co-founder of the Children’s AIDS Fund International.
On the other hand, many feel that PEPFAR’s funding is being misallocated. “What’s changed is the Biden administration’s radical insistence on ramming abortion into our foreign policy in an aggressive manner that we’ve never seen before,” Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy, and Government Affairs at Family Research Council, calling for more controls on the program. “Anyone who wants to be pro-life in their political voting record, we have to say, PEPFAR cannot go as it has been, it has to be amended.”
Anti-Abortion advocates and Republicans have pushed for a one-year reauthorization that adds explicit abortion restrictions to PEPFAR.
“President Biden was the one who started this,” said Roger Severino, and said that he was rescinding the Trump administration’s policies that barred U.S. funding for organizations abroad to perform abortions or promotes them as a method of family planning. And If PEPFAR needs authorization, it should not need reauthorization.
He added PEPFAR faces “real trouble” if it doesn’t swiftly receive a five-year reauthorization.
“It’ll be dead by 1,000 cuts in the future, if it has to go up for reauthorization every year,” said Shepherd Smith.
“If PEPFAR doesn’t get reauthorized, the program can’t continue — but it could send some pretty chilling messages to people in the field who depend on PEPFAR for life support,” said Jennifer Kates, the director of global health and HIV policy at KFF, a health policy organization.
Treasured by medical professionals and praised by foreign leaders, PEPFAR is the world’s largest health program devoted to a single disease, strengthening U.S. diplomatic ties and boosting public health. PEPFAR has distributed courses on treating HIV, collected data on the virus, and has improved partnership with international governments and organizations, costing more than $100 billion. It has been credited for stabilizing health systems with little support such as sub-Saharan Africa which was devastated by HIV.
But now, many people are accusing that PEPFAR’s funds are helping prop up abortion providers. “It’s just dumbfounding to me that the charge has been taken seriously,” said Shepherd Smith, a co-founder of the Children’s AIDS Fund International.
On the other hand, many feel that PEPFAR’s funding is being misallocated. “What’s changed is the Biden administration’s radical insistence on ramming abortion into our foreign policy in an aggressive manner that we’ve never seen before,” Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy, and Government Affairs at Family Research Council, calling for more controls on the program. “Anyone who wants to be pro-life in their political voting record, we have to say, PEPFAR cannot go as it has been, it has to be amended.”
Anti-Abortion advocates and Republicans have pushed for a one-year reauthorization that adds explicit abortion restrictions to PEPFAR.
“President Biden was the one who started this,” said Roger Severino, and said that he was rescinding the Trump administration’s policies that barred U.S. funding for organizations abroad to perform abortions or promotes them as a method of family planning. And If PEPFAR needs authorization, it should not need reauthorization.
He added PEPFAR faces “real trouble” if it doesn’t swiftly receive a five-year reauthorization.
“It’ll be dead by 1,000 cuts in the future, if it has to go up for reauthorization every year,” said Shepherd Smith.
