In an opinion piece published on Politico.com (politico.com, 4/15), former Senator Rick Santorum (R) urges current Republican senators not to “drag their feet” in reauthorizing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) after the House of Representatives’ recent approval of the bill. If the Senate approves it, the bill would allocate $50 billion in AIDS relief to developing countries over the next five years.

“Yes, $50 billion is big money,” writes Santorum, who worked on the plan’s original legislation five years ago. “But PEPFAR is now a big part of our foreign policy. It offers people hope instead of hopelessness. It shows the world our heart and that America is a blessing to the oppressed and suffering across the globe. And it needs reauthorizing now.”

The column responds to other conservatives who have blasted the bill for removing abstinence-education mandates in favor of more comprehensive funding. According to Santorum, the reauthorization bill strengthens the “conscience clause” and forbids PEPFAR funds from being used to advocate prostitution or sex trafficking.