Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is threatening to block two of President Trump’s ambassador nominees unless the administration releases frozen PEPFAR funding aimed at fighting HIV and AIDS in Africa. Cornyn told Semafor on Tuesday that he would not support committee action on Kari Lake’s nomination to be ambassador to Jamaica or Doug Mastriano’s bid to become ambassador to Slovakia without confirmation that the Trump administration will distribute money from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
The Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on Lake’s nomination on Wednesday, with Mastriano likely to be added to the slate. Cornyn said he would also vote against both nominees on the Senate floor if his concerns about PEPFAR funding aren’t addressed.
“The only way it seems like you can get the administration’s attention on some of these funding issues is by using the leverage to withhold votes on nominees,” Cornyn said in an interview. “We are going to use the committee vote tomorrow as a way to get the money distributed the way Congress appropriated it.”
Cornyn’s threat carries real weight. With the committee evenly split between 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, and all Democrats planning to vote no, Cornyn’s defection would result in a tie vote that would fail. Cornyn suggested he would not be alone in his stand, and Sen. John Curtis of Utah told Semafor he is “taking a hard look” at the two nominations.
The Trump administration temporarily halted nearly all foreign aid at the start of 2025 before unpausing it for “life-saving” assistance like PEPFAR. However, aid groups that receive PEPFAR funding have reported that grants were still often delayed or cancelled despite the exemption, causing cuts to clinics and services worldwide.
Cornyn said he estimates about $1.3 billion is ready to be released immediately and wants more details on the roughly $10 billion lawmakers have appropriated for the program over the past two years. He described the funding as important for both saving lives and maintaining U.S. soft power in Africa, where Russia and China are competing for influence.
“This is one of the really important elements of our soft power too, because America needs friends in Africa,” Cornyn said. “So, not only is it the right thing to do from a compassionate point of view, it’s in our self interest to make sure this money is used to promote American soft power and to make friends.”
PEPFAR was created by President George W. Bush in 2003 and has enjoyed two decades of largely bipartisan support. Republicans shielded the program from cuts in last year’s rescissions package, demonstrating their enduring commitment to the initiative.
Cornyn has already shown a keen awareness of his leverage on Trump administration priorities. He threatened earlier this year to vote against a GOP spending bill unless the administration released border security money for Texas, prompting swift action from the White House. He is also undecided on attorney general nominee Todd Blanche, giving him additional influence over the administration’s agenda.
Lake and Mastriano are both stalwart Trump allies who lost gubernatorial races in 2022; Lake also lost a Senate race in 2024. Cornyn conveyed his intentions to Senate Foreign Relations Chair Jim Risch of Idaho, and the Trump administration did not immediately comment on the threat.
Sources
- The Hill — Cornyn’s threat to block ambassador nominees over PEPFAR funding
- Semafor — Detailed reporting on Cornyn’s leverage, PEPFAR funding delays, and the impact on global aid programs
- AP News — Trump administration disruptions to PEPFAR and impact on aid organizations
