The institute established by President has issued an urgent plea to Congress to renew the global AIDS program, PEPFAR. Created by Bush two decades ago, PEPFAR, also known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has been instrumental in saving an estimated 25 million lives. However, the program’s future hangs in the balance due to abortion politics. House Republicans, without substantiated evidence, have claimed that the Biden administration is using PEPFAR to promote abortion overseas. These Republicans aim to attach abortion-related restrictions to PEPFAR, jeopardizing its reauthorization in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
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The nonpartisan Bush Institute has previously refrained from entering the debate. However, in a letter signed by over 30 retired ambassadors, foreign policy luminaries, and organizations, including the Carter Center founded by former President Jimmy Carter, the institute implores Congress to reauthorize the program. The letter emphasizes the program’s role in saving lives, countering the influence of Russia and China, and upholding America’s global leadership reputation.
The letter states, “PEPFAR is not only a model of United States leadership but also a source of immense national pride. It stands as one of the most successful international development programs since World War II. Abandoning it abruptly would send a dire message, suggesting that we can no longer transcend politics for the greater good of democracies and the world.”
Currently, PEPFAR continues to operate without interruption. However, advocates fear that without reauthorization, the program may face budget reductions or even elimination in the future. Furthermore, they argue that the bipartisan support from Congress remains crucial for the program’s strength.
While President Bush himself did not sign the institute’s letter, sources close to him reveal that he is cautiously using his voice. The primary signatory is Dr. Deborah Birx, a senior fellow at the Bush Institute, who previously led PEPFAR under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and served as Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator.
Despite not signing the letter, President Bush has been vocal about his desire for PEPFAR’s reauthorization. During the summer, he discussed the program’s future with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, at the Bush family compound in Maine. In mid-September, he even published an opinion piece in The Washington Post urging Congress to sustain PEPFAR.
At the time, supporters of PEPFAR on Capitol Hill believed they were making progress in overcoming obstacles. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., a leading advocate of the program, previously mentioned working with freshman Republican Rep. John James of Michigan on a bipartisan reauthorization bill. However, the effort was put on hold due to a threatened government shutdown, and its progress remains stagnant because the House is currently facing a leadership crisis, hindering the ability to choose a speaker.
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