Prior to a procedural vote Tuesday to begin debate on the $9.4 billion package, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said that the White House had agreed to an amendment to the bill that would exempt the HIV/AIDS relief program.

Republicans plan to strip $400 million in global AIDS program cuts from President Donald Trump's rescission package, as Sen. John Thune plows forward before funding holds expire.

The proposed cuts have caused concerns among some Senate Republicans, including Utah Sen. John Curtis, who may consider removing that provision from the final package.

The Trump administration agreed to exempt a global AIDS-relief program from spending cuts in the rescissions package.

Kaine on Wednesday called the cuts an “attack on the religious organizations so that they cannot do the work that their faith in their Creator compels them to do.”

Senators made numerous changes to the legislation, which targets funding for foreign assistance programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Most notably, they removed a $400 million cut to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Senate Republicans advance President Donald Trump's $9 billion spending clawback package through final procedural hurdle, with some bipartisan opposition to foreign aid cuts.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) broke with the Senate Republican caucus and opposed both of the procedural votes, citing concerns about the bill — and, apparently, a lack of clarity from the White House on where exactly the cuts will come from.

Senate Republicans reached an agreement with the White House on Tuesday to preserve funding for a flagship global HIV and AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR, backing off a proposed $400 million cut that had drawn sharp opposition from within their own ranks and threatened to derail President Donald Trump’s sweeping package of spending rescissions.

The Trump administration has asked Congress to rescind funds for NPR/PBS and foreign aid. Congress has until the end of the week to approve the cuts.

The UNAIDS annual report warns that Trump era HIV funding cuts could lead to 6 million more infections and 4 million deaths by 2029 — as low-income countries struggle to fill the gap.