Is there a specific bill or amendment (or set of them) we should be asking ppl to support or oppose? Gonna see my Congressperson this weekend so good time to ask, but from a quick search it’s not obvious what specifically I should be asking for. I’d like to be as detailed as possible.
Second, what exactly needs to be reauthorized? The program itself, or an appropriation of funds? Or both? And if needs an appropriation, how much? Fun fact about the US system: Congress can effectively kill programs that are still technically on the books, by just not giving them $, so you gotta be very clear in what you’re demanding.
There is no specific bill yet. There would have had to be a specific bill for a clean 5-year reauthorization before the expiration in October, but there wasn’t. PEPFAR does still have a ton of supporters on both sides, and Republicans are calling for a one-year reauthorization, so it seems likely that it will be reauthorized for a year—that would take the form of being added to Congressional appropriations that happen each year. It’s not clear yet how set-in-stone that is, and it would be good to ask your rep about the likelihood of a 1-year reauthorization.
The immediate problem is that, exactly as you described, previously-authorized funds of $1 billion have not been released, which is a huge strain on PEPFAR operations. Getting those funds authorized is the most important concern right now.
Is there a specific bill or amendment (or set of them) we should be asking ppl to support or oppose? Gonna see my Congressperson this weekend so good time to ask, but from a quick search it’s not obvious what specifically I should be asking for. I’d like to be as detailed as possible.
Second, what exactly needs to be reauthorized? The program itself, or an appropriation of funds? Or both? And if needs an appropriation, how much? Fun fact about the US system: Congress can effectively kill programs that are still technically on the books, by just not giving them $, so you gotta be very clear in what you’re demanding.
There is no specific bill yet. There would have had to be a specific bill for a clean 5-year reauthorization before the expiration in October, but there wasn’t. PEPFAR does still have a ton of supporters on both sides, and Republicans are calling for a one-year reauthorization, so it seems likely that it will be reauthorized for a year—that would take the form of being added to Congressional appropriations that happen each year. It’s not clear yet how set-in-stone that is, and it would be good to ask your rep about the likelihood of a 1-year reauthorization.
The immediate problem is that, exactly as you described, previously-authorized funds of $1 billion have not been released, which is a huge strain on PEPFAR operations. Getting those funds authorized is the most important concern right now.