{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-walkinshaw-amo-kelly-lead-134-colleagues-in-demanding-release-of-more-than-3-billion-in-lifesaving-global-health-funding", "Markey, Walkinshaw, Amo, Kelly, Lead 134 Colleagues in Demanding Release of More Than $3 Billion in Lifesaving Global Health Funding", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Edward J. Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", "markey", "https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington (August 27, 2026) \u2013 Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) led 134 of their colleagues in calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to immediately release $7.5 billion in international affairs funding, to include more than $3 billion in congressionally appropriated global health funding before it expires on September 30, 2026.\n\nIn a bicameral letter to Rubio and Vought, the lawmakers warned that approximately $7.5 billion in international affairs funding remains unobligated and at risk of expiring, including more than $3 billion intended for lifesaving global health programs.\n\nThe Global Health Programs account supports efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, malnutrition, and emerging health threats. According to the letter, OMB has notified Congress that approximately $1.35 billion is being withheld for costs associated with closing the U.S. Agency for International Development instead of being used for the critical global health programs Congress funded.\n\nThe lawmakers warned that allowing the funding to expire could contribute to an estimated 121,000 deaths from tuberculosis, 47,600 deaths from malaria, and the loss of lifesaving nutrition products for 22.9 million children.\n\n\u201cThis hardship can be prevented if the Administration spends these funds as Congress directed,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cWe call on you to immediately release the remaining lifesaving, bipartisan GHP funding before it expires on September 30, 2026.\u201d\n\nThe letter also raises concerns about proposed changes to the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which has saved more than 26 million lives. The lawmakers warned that reducing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s role in the program could disrupt HIV treatment, weaken global disease surveillance, and limit America\u2019s ability to stop outbreaks abroad before they threaten communities at home.\n\n\u201cThe Department and OMB\u2019s refusal to spend GHP funding as directed by Congress and the concerning PEPFAR implementation changes defy the law and threaten lives, internationally and in the U.S.,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nMarkey, Walkinshaw, Amo, Kelly, and their colleagues demanded answers by September 9 regarding the Administration\u2019s plans to release the funding, the costs of terminating USAID programs, and the public-health consequences of reducing the CDC\u2019s role in PEPFAR.\n\nThe full text of the letter, including the complete list of 138 signers, is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-walkinshaw-amo-kelly-lead-134-colleagues-in-demanding-release-of-more-than-3-billion-in-lifesaving-global-health-funding"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2252979688346386, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}