Cornyn says he’ll block Trump diplomat nominees to unfreeze PEPFAR funds
Cornyn says he will oppose the nominations unless the Trump administration releases PEPFAR money for AIDS programs abroad, a move that could stall both picks.
- On Wednesday, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn threatened to block ambassadorial nominations for Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano unless the administration distributes congressionally appropriated PEPFAR funds to combat AIDS globally.
- Administration foreign aid cuts shuttered 1,700 HIV treatment sites globally, prompting Cornyn to leverage committee votes as a tactic he previously deployed to secure Texas border security funding from the administration.
- With 12 Republican and 10 Democratic seats on The Foreign Relations Committee, Cornyn's opposition alone creates a tie vote that would defeat both nominees; Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, told Semafor on Tuesday he is 'taking a hard look' at the appointments.
- While officials moved to soothe his concerns, Cornyn vowed he would vote against Lake and Mastriano on the Senate floor if PEPFAR money remains undistributed, saying 'I will not be alone' in his stand.
- Stalled PEPFAR funding threatens survival of critical international HIV treatment programs established under President George Bush, underscoring ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Republican members over foreign aid priorities.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Cornyn votes for Trump diplomatic nominees after securing funds for global HIV/AIDS initiative
By Samanta Habashy, The Texas Tribune July 22, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn reversed course Wednesday when he cast his vote to advance two of Donald Trump’s diplomatic nominees after threatening not to if the White House did not distribute funds intended for a U.S. global initiative on HIV/AIDS prevention. Semafor reported that…
Cornyn Threatens to Block Trump Noms Over Unreleased PEPFAR Funds — And Quickly Relents
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Tuesday threatened to vote against President Donald Trump’s ambassador nominees for Jamaica and Slovakia unless the Trump administration released the money Congress appropriated for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — before he got “assurances” that convinced him to drop the plan.
Cornyn Backs Off His Threat to Sink Lake, Mastriano Nominations
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via APSen. John Cornyn voted on Wednesday to confirm Trump allies Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano as ambassadors to Jamaica and Slovakia, respectively, after threatening to block their nominations over distributions of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.The Trump administration had plans to permanently terminate funding for PEPFAR in South Africa, Semafor reported in June. Cornyn, a Texas Republican who lost his re…
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