PEPFAR Champion Faces Unexpected Setback
Negotiations for the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a successful U.S. global HIV/AIDS relief program, have reached a stalemate in Congress. The deadlock stems from a divide between Republicans who accuse the Biden administration of using PEPFAR to fund abortion providers overseas and House Democrats who refuse to reinstate Trump-era rules that prohibited foreign aid going to groups that provide or counsel on abortions. Talks have also stalled in the Senate, and the best hope for reauthorization now lies in the government spending process, which is expected to drag into early 2024. The 2024 election further complicates the issue, with some Republicans opposing a long-term reauthorization to prevent restrictions from being tied to a future conservative president. Without a long-term commitment, groups fighting HIV and AIDS worldwide will struggle to hire staff and launch long-term projects.