Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a narrow vision of the U.S. government’s interests and obligations for providing global health assistance in a hearing Tuesday.
Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida and chair of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, questioned why it is in the U.S. government’s interest to provide billions of dollars in funding to fight AIDS in sub-Saharan African countries when their governments frequently vote against U.S. positions at the United Nations.
“These were some of the biggest recipients of PEPFAR, and they were giving the United States of America the least amount of support,” Mast said, referring to the flagship international HIV program that has saved an estimated 25 million lives since 2003.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
