The US Senate votes to keep money for the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief from a package of more than $9 billion in cuts going through Congress

Prior to a procedural vote Tuesday to begin debate on the $9.4 billion package, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said that the White House had agreed to an amendment to the bill that would exempt the HIV/AIDS relief program.

The Trump administration agreed to exempt a global AIDS-relief program from spending cuts in the rescissions package.

The Trump administration has asked Congress to rescind funds for NPR/PBS and foreign aid. Congress has until the end of the week to approve the cuts.

The proposed cuts have caused concerns among some Senate Republicans, including Utah Sen. John Curtis, who may consider removing that provision from the final package.

Senate Republicans reached an agreement with the White House on Tuesday to preserve funding for a flagship global HIV and AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR, backing off a proposed $400 million cut that had drawn sharp opposition from within their own ranks and threatened to derail President Donald Trump’s sweeping package of spending rescissions.

PEPFAR, a program started by George W. Bush, was set to lose $400 million after the OMB director falsely claimed it funds Russian abortions.

The UNAIDS annual report warns that Trump era HIV funding cuts could lead to 6 million more infections and 4 million deaths by 2029 — as low-income countries struggle to fill the gap.