### Don’t Worry, They’re Just “Overseeing” the AIDS Budget
So, a bunch of AIDS activists and former USAID employees decided to make a scene during White House budget director Russ Vought’s testimony. They chanted “PEPFAR saves lives — spend the money” while waving signs like “Protect PEPFAR from Vought.” Sounds like a fun time, right? The Capitol police had to step in and escort them out. But hey, who needs to hear Vought’s opening statement uninterrupted?
Now, here’s the kicker: the Trump administration has been trying to cut funding for PEPFAR, the program aimed at tackling HIV and AIDS in developing countries. But wait! Congress, in a rare moment of sanity, decided to ignore those budget cuts and approved $4.6 billion for the program this fiscal year. That’s down from $4.8 billion last year, but still—what a win, right?
Let’s not forget that Republican lawmakers also shot down the administration’s attempt to snatch back $400 million that had already been approved for this AIDS-fighting initiative. So much for “draining the swamp.”
And just to keep the chaos flowing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed over control of USAID to Vought to “oversee the closeout” of the agency. Because nothing says “we care about global health” quite like dismantling the very organization meant to help it.
Isn’t it refreshing to know our leaders are so concerned with saving lives that they can’t even keep their budget proposals straight? But hey, at least the activists had their moment in the spotlight. That must count for something, right?
By Admin | Published: April 15, 2026 at 1:21 pm
