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July 17, 2025Senate Republicans spare PEPFAR from $9 billion rescission package
GOP restores HIV funding, slashes $9B amid Epstein fight
Senate passed amended rescission package cutting $7.9 billion from foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting on Jul. 17, 2025
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) removed proposed $400 million PEPFAR cut after bipartisan pushback
PEPFAR supports antiretroviral treatment for 20 million people globally and has saved 25 million lives since 2003
House passed Senate version 216-213 on Jul. 18; Trump signed Jul. 24, 2025
Cuts targeted development aid ($2.5B), economic support ($1.7B), refugee assistance ($800M), global health ($500M)
Nonbinding H.Res. 577 demanded Epstein documents; binding H.R. 4405 passed Nov. 2025
Israel, Egypt, and Jordan protected from all foreign aid cuts in final package
Timeline
Jeffrey Epstein accountability timeline
Jul 17, 2025
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Senate Republicans spare PEPFAR from $9 billion rescission package
On Jul. 17, 2025, the Senate passed an amended rescission package cutting $7.9 billion from foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) removed a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR—the Bush-era HIV/AIDS program credited with saving 25 million lives—after bipartisan pushback. The House passed the Senate version 216-213 on Jul. 18, and Trump signed it Jul. 24. The package also triggered a separate nonbinding House resolution demanding release of Jeffrey Epstein documents, though Congress later passed binding legislation in Nov. 2025.
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