{"id":293093,"date":"2023-06-15T12:38:24","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T17:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=293093"},"modified":"2023-06-14T17:20:05","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T22:20:05","slug":"hiv-prevention-program-bush-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/hiv-prevention-program-bush-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the Biden administration funding abortion through a Bush-era HIV prevention program?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Congress\u2019 reauthorization of PEPFAR, the Bush-era HIV prevention program, is encountering scrutiny from conservatives who have noted that both President Biden\u2019s agenda and recipients of PEPFAR funding have shown an interest in promoting abortion overseas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Chris Smith (R-N.J.) raised those concerns in a letter he sent last week, telling colleagues that the administration is \u201chijack[ing]\u201d the foreign aid program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Biden has hijacked PEPFAR, the $6 billion a year foreign aid program designed <\/span>to mitigate HIV\/AIDs in many targeted\u2014mostly African\u2014countries in order to promote abortion <\/span>on demand,\u201d Smith said in the letter, which was obtained by <\/span>Fox News Digital<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>\u201cBad actor nongovernment organizations (NGOs) that promote abortion have received at least $1.34 billion from PEPFAR funds\u2014the lack of transparency by the Administration means it could be more\u2014since FY 2021 and are now poised to carry out Biden\u2019s new strategy directives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to Smith\u2019s letter, the conservative Heritage Foundation <\/span>released<\/span><\/a> a report in May that raised concerns about the left-leaning tilt of PEPFAR and its recipients. A long list of conservative organization heads also <\/span>wrote<\/span><\/a> congressional committees, asking them to ensure taxpayer money wouldn\u2019t be used to \u201cpromote abortions and push a radical gender ideology abroad.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

More recently, a group of 139 African Parliamentarians <\/span>sent<\/span><\/a> Congress a letter expressing \u201cour concerns and suspicions that this funding is supporting so-called family planning and reproductive health principles and practices, including abortion, that violate our core beliefs concerning life, family, and religion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith, who co-sponsored PEPFAR\u2019s reauthorization in 2017, accused the administration of \u201cradically chang[ng] the trajectory\u201d of the program, Fox News Digital reported. <\/span>His letter points to documents on PEPFAR that indicate an interest in \u201creproductive\u201d rights or health \u2013 often code for liberalized abortion access.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Target<\/a><\/p>\n

For example, the State Department\u2019s 2023 Country and Regional Operational Plan for PEPFAR <\/span>states<\/span><\/a>: \u201cPEPFAR should work particularly with multilateral, foundation, and private sector donors to partner in the provision of economic and educational opportunities, and with government partners, to incorporate evidence-based interventions into local structures such as schools and with organizations advocating for structural, systemic, and institutional reforms in law and policy regarding sexual, reproductive, and economic rights of women.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0A September 2022 <\/span>document<\/span><\/a> titled \u201cReimagining PEPFAR’s Strategic Direction\u201d says that \u201c[w]here possible, PEPFAR will integrate HIV programming into strengthened public health systems to manage tuberculosis, high burden non-communicable diseases, sexual reproductive health, rights and services, as well as other local health priorities that impact PLHIV [people living with HIV\/AIDS] \u2013 to protect HIV\/AIDS gains and strengthen health and economic outcomes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s letter also highlights pro-abortion advocacy from <\/span>Population Services International (PSI)<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Pathfinder International<\/span><\/a>, and VillageReach, which collectively received more than $100 million in PEPFAR funding over the last two years. He listed several examples of how international organizations were allegedly engaging in the type of integration the 2022 document discussed.<\/span><\/p>\n

More specifically, he pointed to PSI and Pathfinder statements showing an interest in promoting abortion. He also honed in on a manual VillageReach and Planned Parenthood produced with PEPFAR funding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The controversy has raised questions about whether organizations might be using U.S. funding in a way that violates the Helms Amendment\u2019s prohibition on promoting abortion overseas. Helms is still in place but House Democrats previously <\/span>tried to exclude<\/span><\/a> Helms from its budget process in 2021. And as Live Action News previously <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a>, the Biden administration\u2019s FY22 budget proposal excluded Helms and other protections on taxpayer funding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fox News reported that a White House spokesperson denied abortion ties and blamed the controversy on a \u201cfalse narrative\u201d:<\/span><\/p>\n

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital PEPFAR funding “does not support” abortion provisions in accordance with “longstanding legal restrictions on the use of foreign assistance funding for abortions.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The official explained that the “false narrative” on abortion was a “disinformation campaign” spread by groups that oppose the reauthorization of PEPFAR, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for 20 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Smith, meanwhile, accused the Biden administration of \u201cmisdirection\u201d and worried that Helms didn\u2019t adequately prevent abortion promotion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DevEx<\/span><\/a> reported that both PSI and VillageReach denied violating U.S. law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe adhere strictly to all applicable regulations to ensure compliance and to provide essential reproductive healthcare services while respecting local laws,\u201d PSI reportedly said. \u201cPSI\u2019s safe abortion work remains separate from US government funding due to long-standing US laws and regulations,\u201d it added.<\/span><\/p>\n

VillageReach reportedly described Smith\u2019s letter as providing an \u201cinaccurate portrayal of the program.\u201d It added that the services it delivered \u201ccomplied with U.S. law and Malawi law.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s letter didn\u2019t link to the manual but appeared to be referring to a <\/span>training manual<\/span><\/a> that can be found on healthpolicyplus.com and contains a 17-page section on \u201cunsafe abortion and young people.\u201d In it, facilitators are told to host exercises in which participants consider different scenarios involving abortion. One of the exercises asks participants to choose one of six patients to receive an abortion. The manual also lists \u201cfactors that could help reduce unsafe abortion in young people,\u201d including \u201cavailability and accessibility of safe abortion services.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Part of Smith\u2019s suspicions also stemmed from a <\/span>government-funded hotline<\/span><\/a> that provided information on \u201csexual and reproductive health.\u201d VillageReach\u2019s website contains an evaluation of that hotline with information on \u201creferrals\/linkages to care.\u201d It reads: \u201cHow effective was the CCPF hotline in connecting the general population to needed health care services? Did the hotline provide timely and appropriate referrals to health facilities for clients presenting with specific health symptoms\/danger signs or clients requiring certain preventive\/family planning services?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that as little as $10 a month is enough to reach more than 3,000 people with the truth about abortion that no one else is telling them? Click here to start saving lives 365 days a year.<\/i><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congress\u2019 reauthorization of PEPFAR, the Bush-era HIV prevention program, is encountering scrutiny from conservatives who have noted that both President Biden\u2019s agenda and recipients of PEPFAR funding have shown an interest in promoting abortion overseas. Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Chris Smith (R-N.J.) raised those concerns in a letter he sent last week, telling colleagues that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":868,"featured_media":278117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs the Biden administration funding abortion through a Bush-era HIV prevention program?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cPresident Biden has hijacked... [a] foreign aid program designed to mitigate HIV\/AIDs in... mostly African countries" said Rep. 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