Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told reporters that the White House agreed with a plan to change the rescissions package with a substitute amendment that would exempt the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from being cut.
“It’s substantially the same package and the Senate has to work its will and we’ve appreciated the work along the way to get to a place where they’ve got the votes,” Vought said.
“There is a substitute amendment that does not include the PEPFAR rescission and we’re fine with that.”
Trump had requested that $900 million be clawed back from PEPFAR. If the substitute amendment is adopted, the size of the initial $9.4 billion request would be narrowed to $9 billion, Vought said Tuesday.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) repeatedly stated her desire to remove PEPFAR from the package. Other GOP appropriators maintained their support for the program but didn’t say whether it was a deal breaker.
“This is progress,” Collins told reporters about saving PEPFAR. But she added Vought did not give a clear enough explanation about what programs he wanted to “save” and the specifics about what programs are being cut.
“It's unclear to me how you get to $9 billion,” Collins said. “We still have the problem of not having detailed account information from OMB.”
The amendment means the House will have to vote again on the legislation. House Republicans had pressed for the Senate not to change the bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R) told reporters Tuesday there had been “a lot of interest” in preserving PEPFAR funding among his conference, adding that he hopes the House will accept “that one small modification.”
