Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Wednesday that she is opposed to a Trump White House proposal that would claw back money Congress has already appropriated for global health programs, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
“I do not support the rescission for PEPFAR and global health programs,” Collins told reporters as she walked into a meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.
The White House on Tuesday sent lawmakers a request to rescind $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, which were targeted for cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Congress needs to approve the rescissions package to codify the DOGE cuts.
The package would cut nearly $9 million from PEPFAR and $400 million from global programs intended to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Congress has 45 days to act on the package, which will be considered on a procedural fast-track in the Senate, allowing it to pass the upper chamber with a simple majority vote.
Collins in a statement Tuesday said the Appropriations Committee “will carefully review the rescissions package and examine the potential consequences of these rescissions on global health, national security, national security” and other congressional priorities.