In a rare political plot twist, the Trump administration has pulled back from a proposed $400 million cut to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—better known as PEPFAR. The globally praised program, which has saved over 26 million lives since its launch in 2003, was initially on the chopping block in a sweeping $9 billion rescissions package aimed at foreign aid and public broadcasting.
But backlash came fast and furious. And not just from Democrats. Republican senators—yes, even some of them—weren’t having it.
“There are some cuts that I can support,” said Senator Susan Collins, a Republican with a conscience still apparently intact, “but I’m not going to vote to cut global health programs.” She reminded her colleagues that PEPFAR didn’t just help people with HIV—it helped babies be born free of it.
The administration, facing a potential revolt from within, did what it rarely does: it listened. Behind closed doors, Budget Director Russell Vought confirmed to GOP senators that the PEPFAR cuts were off the table. The rescission still passed—narrowly—without the HIV/AIDS blow.
PEPFAR Survives, But What About the Rest?
While activists and healthcare advocates breathed a sigh of relief over PEPFAR’s survival, they weren’t throwing a party. The rest of the budget package? A gut punch. With $9 billion slashed from programs ranging from foreign aid to public broadcasting, the message from Capitol Hill was loud and clear: global compassion is on sale, and America’s selling.
Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children, summed it up bitterly: “It is always good news when lawmakers prioritize children, especially children who are orphaned or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. But the larger trend here is not hopeful.” And he’s not wrong.
For LGBTQ communities—especially those in countries still battling HIV/AIDS with minimal resources—PEPFAR isn’t just another foreign aid project. It’s a lifeline. From Kenya to Cambodia, it’s meant the difference between life and death for queer people living with HIV, especially in places where stigma is still lethal and access to care nonexistent without international support.
The Bigger Picture for LGBTQ Health
The fight over PEPFAR underscores a brutal truth: global LGBTQ health is always on thin ice when budgets get political. And while the immediate threat has been dodged, the program’s narrow escape is a warning. If it can almost be axed under the guise of “wasteful spending,” it can be again.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called out the charade, accusing Republicans of making only “small tweaks” and pretending they were major compromises. And honestly? He’s not wrong either.
Meanwhile, the queer community—already scarred by decades of fighting for access to life-saving treatment—knows better than to relax. We’ve been here before, and we’ll likely be here again.
PEPFAR’s temporary rescue is worth celebrating, but let’s not forget the lives still hanging in the balance. From kids in Nairobi to closeted men in Jakarta, the impact of these budgets isn’t just fiscal—it’s deeply personal. And every dollar matters when it comes to keeping us alive.