Associated Press: Trump to sign bill extending HIV/AIDS program, Pence says
“President Donald Trump will soon sign legislation to extend a 15-year-old HIV/AIDS program that has helped millions, primarily in Africa. HIV/AIDS advocates welcomed the news and immediately called on Trump to drop efforts to cut federal funding for the life-saving program. Vice President Mike Pence made the announcement Thursday at a White House event marking World AIDS Day on Saturday. The Senate late Wednesday passed legislation extending for five years the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and advancing the bill to the White House for Trump’s signature. The House passed an identical measure in mid-November…” (Superville, 11/29).

Devex: High-level support for PEPFAR, with budget cut proposals looming
“…Despite a busy end-of-year schedule, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 late Wednesday. The 3 ½-page, straightforward bill amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to extend its end date from 2018 to 2023. While the legislation passed easily, there were concerns earlier this year that the reauthorization would be politicized, which would have stalled the process and perhaps led to a situation where the program’s mandate would have been extended through the annual appropriations process rather than through legislation…” (Saldinger/Igoe, 11/30).