Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Reinstate Vital HIV/AIDS Prevention Program

Senators fighting $2 billion in funding cuts from the emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR).

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined colleagues in demanding the Trump administration immediately approve a U.S. Department of State transfer of $2 billion in funding to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

PEPFAR was established in 2003 and has had longstanding bipartisan congressional support. Trump recently launched his "America First Global Health Strategy," which aims to end American humanitarian support abroad, particularly for PEPFAR-related programs. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Senators argued that halting the transfer of essential funding for PEPFAR will do far more harm than good, and open the door to potential new international health epidemics.

"Following this Administration's dismantlement of USAID, a key implementor of PEPFAR programming, countries are struggling to maintain the programs set up by USAID and PEPFAR funding, facing more new infections and more deaths," the senators wrote. "Without USAID, CDC's global health infrastructure remains the most effective tool the U.S. has to monitor and prevent global health emergencies."

The senators raised concerns over the ethics of the Trump administration's attempt to move PEPFAR to a fee-for-service program, in exchange for access to natural resources, specifically critical minerals. This administration is using life-saving medication as leverage for its own political agenda and personal gain, in some of the poorest and most underserved countries.

"This type of coercive diplomacy does not serve U.S. global health interests and is extremely susceptible to risk of corruption. We urge the Trump Administration to immediately rescind any guidance suggesting that DOS will no longer honor the transfer of $2 billion to CDC and commit to upholding this long-standing transfer that keeps Americans safe," the senators continued.

The administration is aiming to phase out PEPFAR in five years, which risks leaving countries in need with little time to prepare for their own health care independence.

The letter was led by Senator Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Cory Booker, D-N.J., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Bernard Sanders, D-Vt. and Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

The text of the letter is here.

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