Washington Post: The Health 202: Tillerson’s rhetoric didn’t match reality on global health
“As Rex Tillerson exits the State Department, he leaves behind a confusing trail of mixed messages about whether the Trump administration wants to support or undermine U.S. funding for global health. … Trump and Tillerson’s rhetoric did at times sounded quite positive toward funding major global health initiatives. … But the picture looks different when you consider Trump’s budget requests. … ‘There was this rhetorical support, but the proposed cuts were so significant there seemed to be a disconnect,’ said Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. … There is one way global health programs appeared to be sheltered from the staffing upheaval in Foggy Bottom. Experts say Tillerson left in place or brought on top administrators with strong backgrounds in global health, including Deborah Birx, who oversees PEPFAR, and Mark Green, head of USAID. But, as with many other areas of Trump’s administration, it’s often hard to figure out the direction or priorities for top Trump appointees. That is how many global health experts said they’ll remember Tillerson…” (Cunningham, 3/14).