NEWS: Senate Republicans Block Sen. Schiff Attempt to Protect Global Health Programs from Trump’s Funding Cuts

Washington, D.C.– Today, a majority of Senate Republicans voted to block U.S. Senator Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) attempt to protect U.S. global health programs within the State Department from millions of dollars of funding cuts by rejectinghis amendmentto the rescissions package being debated in the Senate.
Despite recent carveouts that protect funding for some diseases but not others, Republicans did not amend the total funding being clawed back from the State Department’s global health programs. Therefore, a $500 million cut is still required across fewer critical health programs.
“My amendment would reduce the amount of cuts required to global health programs in order to ensure that funding for HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and maternal health and nutrition programs remain — not just in theory, but in real dollars and cents,”said Senator Schiff on the Senate Floorwhile offering his amendment.
Senator Schiff’s amendment, which he offered during debate today, would have reduced the overall cut required to global health programs, and expanded the exemptions to include other programs aimed at preventing and treating other diseases around the globe.
“Several Republicans have pointed out that we don’t know how the Administration is going to implement this bill,”Senator Schiff said.“Let’s make this as simple as possible. The Senate doesn’t want to cut funding for AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and other diseases. Then let’s remove the rescissions we agree we want to avoid.”
The amendment was rejected mostly along party lines, with Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) backing the amendment along with unanimous support of Senate Democrats.
The Senator’s amendment can be foundhere.
The Senator’s speech offering the amendment can be foundhere.
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