Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) brutally fact-checked several pro-USAID protestors who tried to crash his House hearing Thursday on how the U.S. international aid agency has wasted and abused massive sums of American tax dollars.
"Restore All AIDS funding now! PEPFAR saves lives!" a small assembly of agitators shouted during the congressional proceedings. They held signs saying "Trump Kills People With AIDS Worldwide" behind one of the witnesses, former USAID official Max Primorac, who was delivering his opening statement.
As the left-wing activists were swiftly escorted out, Congressman Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, then schooled them on the very issue they were protesting over.
Protestors interrupt USAID Betrayal Hearing, hold up signs reading "Trump Kills People With AIDS Worldwide" and "PEPFAR saves lives."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 13, 2025
REP. BRIAN MAST: "They didn't realize that PEPFAR was one of the many programs that did prove to be life saving. So the funding was restored." pic.twitter.com/wBiXwAknk6
"I guess these guys don't watch the news. They didn't realize that PEPFAR was one of the many programs that did prove to be life-saving, so the funding was restored," Mast quipped. "Somebody better give them a link to, uh—I don't know, maybe Fox News, or something like that."
Indeed, some programs under the U.S. President's Emergency Relief for Aids Relief, a.k.a. PEPFAR, which provides HIV medication, were granted a waiver to restart operations. Antiretroviral meds and healthcare services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV are included in this waiver obtained by Devex. As authorized, HIV care "inclusive of HIV testing and counseling, prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections" can continue.
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Devex also obtained a copy of waiver guidance for global health programming beyond PEPFAR, including treating tuberculosis, malaria, acute risks of maternal and child mortality, and severe malnutrition, among other life-threatening diseases and health conditions.
Amid the Trump administration's freeze on foreign funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), exceptions are reportedly being granted for a "limited subset" of "life-saving humanitarian assistance." In an internal memo, per Devex, Nicholas Enrich, acting assistant administrator of USAID's Bureau for Global Health, said they are "taking steps to resume or continue activities" deemed lifesaving.
The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in South Africa confirmed via an FAQ page on PEPFAR's status that it is not impacted either by President Donald Trump's executive order on "Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa."
Section B of the executive order says: "The head of each agency may permit the provision of any such foreign aid or assistance that, in the discretion of the relevant agency head, is necessary or appropriate." Thus, the U.S. Mission South Africa has "full permission" to restart PEPFAR under the conditions of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's humanitarian waiver.
According to the U.S. State Department, since 2003, through PEPFAR, the U.S. government has invested over $110 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response, the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history, saving 26 million lives, enabling 7.8 million babies to be born HIV-free, preventing millions of HIV infections, and helping to control this pandemic in more than 50 countries, with the hope of eliminating the public health threat by 2030.
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