In a significant pushback against the White House, the United States Congress is moving to restore substantial portions of the severe foreign aid cuts implemented by President Donald Trump at the start of his term.
The Immediate Freeze and Its Fallout
Upon returning to office in January 2025, President Trump enacted an overnight freeze on all overseas assistance. This was swiftly followed by the cancellation of entire swathes of international programmes. The consequences over the past year have been stark, particularly for lower-income nations. Health services have been upended, with clinics closing, vital drug supplies running out, and tens of thousands of health workers forced to abandon their posts.
Congress Fights Back with Revised Funding
A series of revised spending bills, which must still be passed, outline a different path for the current financial year. Negotiators from both the House of Representatives and the Senate have agreed to allocate approximately $50 billion (£37bn) for global programmes, including foreign aid. This figure represents a notable $20bn (£15bn) increase over the funding requested in President Trump's own budget, though it would still constitute a reduction compared to pre-2025 levels.
Within this total, a critical $9.4bn (£7bn) is earmarked for global health initiatives. While a minor cut, it is a world away from the drastic $3.8bn (£3bn) proposed by the President, which would have slashed US global health aid by two-thirds. The HIV/AIDS sector stands to gain the most, in line to receive more than half of these health funds. Reporting by The Independent has revealed that the initial cuts directly deprived people living with HIV of life-saving medication, leading to deaths, while prevention services for LGBT+ communities were hollowed out.
Reproductive Health and Vaccine Funding Restored
The congressional bills also directly counter other specific Trump-era cancellations. They propose $500m (£373m) for family planning and reproductive health, an area the President vowed to strip of all US money. The 2025 freeze on these funds caused contraceptive shortages abroad, directly risking the lives of women and girls.
Similarly, US support for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, was slated for termination. The new legislation would instead allocate $300m (£224m) to the group, restoring it to roughly its 2024 funding level. Gavi provides immunisations for over half the world's children born each year. Furthermore, UNAIDS, the UN's aid agency which has faced an existential threat from the cuts, would receive $45m (£34m) under the congressional plans.
A Political Standoff Looms
Despite bipartisan agreement among negotiators, the bills still require a full vote in Congress. Even if passed, a major question remains: will President Trump sign them into law? The White House has asserted its belief that the President holds the authority to disregard congressional appropriations and spend less than approved.
Notably, language that would have explicitly limited Trump's ability to circumvent Congress was omitted from the bills. The apparent logic is that such provisions might be ignored anyway, and their absence may make the President less likely to reduce spending that has been agreed upon by Republicans and that he would have to formally approve.
The coming weeks will determine whether this congressional effort can begin to repair the profound damage inflicted on global health systems over the past year.
