On July 23, the House Appropriations Committee approved more than $9.5 billion for global health programs in its FY26 bill — a clear acknowledgment that protecting global health is essential to protecting national security. The funding reinforces the United States’ role as a leader in fighting pandemics, reducing child mortality and strengthening health systems around the world.
Provisions of the bill include:
- $800 million for the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), $5 million above FY25 enacted levels
- $1.5 billion for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
- $300 million for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
- $85 million for polio eradication
“We’re encouraged that the House upheld America’s leadership on global health — it’s a smart, lifesaving investment,” said Peter Yeo, President of the Better World Campaign. “But that same leadership is missing elsewhere in the bill. By slashing UN accounts, Congress is undermining U.S. influence in the very institutions where global decisions are made.”
“We’re encouraged that the House upheld America’s leadership on global health — it’s a smart, lifesaving investment.”
Peter Yeo, President of the Better World Campaign
The House bill proposes sweeping cuts that would severely undermine U.S. global leadership. It defunds the UN regular budget — a move that would ultimately result in the U.S. losing its vote in the General Assembly. It slashes funding for UN peacekeeping by 55%, including missions like the one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), where peacekeepers are tasked with enforcing a U.S.-negotiated agreement. The bill also eliminates the International Organizations and Programs (IO&P) account, which supports critical agencies like UNICEF, responsible for vaccinating nearly half of the world’s children, and the UN Development Program. Additionally, it cuts the Contributions to International Organizations (CIO) account by 80%, jeopardizing U.S. support for specialized UN agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Telecommunications Union and the World Health Organization.
The bill also comes on the heels of a $9 billion rescissions package, including $1 billion in cuts to the UN, passed just last week — compounding the damage to U.S. foreign assistance and UN programs.
“We understand the budget pressures facing Congress and support strong oversight,” said Yeo. “But abandoning multilateral cooperation is neither strategic nor smart. In fact, the only winners in this deal are China and Russia. While the U.S. still has significant influence at the UN, we know this approach of withdrawal and withholding emboldens authoritarian regimes.”
“This is about more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about whether the U.S. shows up — or steps back — in shaping a safer, stronger, more prosperous world.”
As the appropriations process moves forward, the Better World Campaign is calling on the Senate to keep American leadership alive. “This is about more than numbers on a spreadsheet,” Yeo stressed. “It’s about whether the U.S. shows up — or steps back — in shaping a safer, stronger, more prosperous world.”
