Congressional Democrats, with the help of corporate media, are pushing a false narrative about the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid programs, according to information provided to The Daily Signal by a State Department official.
In response to concerns about the Trump administration’s cuts to global AIDS programs, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that 85% of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, remains operational.
Some Democrats have questioned the credibility of the 85% figure. “It’s made up,” Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz said when asked about the number by Politico for a story headlined “Democrats say Rubio isn’t playing it straight about foreign aid cuts.”
Politico reporters Carmen Paun, Amanda Friedman, and Robert King wrote that “Rubio has made the claim repeatedly in budget testimony before Congress, but neither he nor the State Department will provide a detailed accounting to back up the figure.”
But The Daily Signal has learned that as of June 9, implementing agencies for the program estimate they are currently providing treatment to 17.8 million beneficiaries across more than 40 countries.
As of June 9, the Health Resources and Services Administration has treated an estimated 4,325 beneficiaries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has treated more than 11.4 million, the Department of Defense has treated 670,816, the U.S. Agency for International Development has treated 4.7 million, and South Africa Central Support has treated 1 million, adding up to over 17.8 million.
The Trump administration has saved taxpayers nearly $60 billion since it took office by eliminating programs in the State Department and USAID alone.
