Marco Rubio cuts off foreign aid for millions of people's HIV medications

Source: msn.com



Marco Rubio cuts off foreign aid for millions of people’s HIV medications
Story by Molly Sprayregen • 9h • 3 min read


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Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s order to pause nearly all foreign aid has halted funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an African HIV-prevention program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved over 25 million lives.

Sources who spoke with CBS News said the funding could stop as early as Monday, which could cut off access to anti-viral medications for millions of people. The sources said they were unsure if recipients of the funding could subsist on stockpiles of the medications during the freeze.




Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ranking Member of the House National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Subcommittee issued a letter to Secretary Rubio on Friday expressing “deep concern” over the funding freeze, which they said puts lives at risk and “undermines American leadership and credibility around the world.”

“United States foreign assistance programs promote stability in other countries to help stop crises from expanding directly to our doorstep,” they wrote. “Foreign assistance is not a handout; it is a strategic investment in our future that is vital for U.S. global leadership and a more resilient world. It directly serves our national interests and demonstrates our credibility to allies, partners, and vulnerable people who rely on American assistance for survival.”...................



Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/marco-rubio-cuts-off-foreign-aid-for-millions-of-people-s-hiv-medications/ar-AA1xWGTl?ocid=BingNewsSerp&cvid=5799afa0e79342c78e256ce3cd904b6c&ei=38