Former President George W. Bush called on Congress to pass a five-year reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in a new op-ed published on Wednesday, warning that it would be a source of national shame if allowed to expire at the end of this month.
PEPFAR was started in 2003 during Bush’s administration and is considered to be among the nation’s most consequential public health and diplomacy programs. It was last reauthorized in 2018 and is set to expire on Sept. 30.
The reauthorization bill usually receives widespread bipartisan support but some House Republicans are currently stalling on reauthorization, arguing that PEPFAR funds are being used to fund abortions overseas.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who penned the House’s reauthorization of PEPFAR in 2018, claims that the Biden administration “hijacked” the program and facilitated funds to go towards abortion services.
In an op-ed published by The Washington Post, Bush said an estimated 25 million lives have been saved as a result of PEPFAR.
“The reauthorization is stalled because of questions about whether PEPFAR’s implementation under the current administration is sufficiently pro-life,” Bush said. “But there is no program more pro-life than one which has saved more than 25 million lives. I urge Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years without delay.”
PEPFAR reauthorization is not needed in order for the program to continue to receive funding, but it would allow policies and requirements for the program to be updated.
“We are on the verge of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To abandon our commitment now would forfeit two decades of unimaginable progress and raise further questions about the worth of America’s word,” wrote Bush.
