WILLIAM BRANGHAM: There was some significant news out of the U.S. Senate today, especially for the global fight against HIV and AIDS.

The White House has backed off $400 billion in immediate cuts to global health programs.

And "News Hour" has learned it pledged to protect others from the chopping block.

This is part of the package of cuts being debated in the Senate this week.

Our Lisa Desjardins was on the Hill today and joins me with more.

Lisa, what happened today?

LISA DESJARDINS: Quite a lot.

We're talking about that rescissions package that is over $9 million -- billion dollars right now.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Oh, I mistakenly said $400 billion.

LISA DESJARDINS: I know.

That's right.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Excuse me.

I meant $400 million.

LISA DESJARDINS: And now it's in my head too.

I know, exactly.

Well, we're going to lay this out exactly, make it all very clear.

So let's look at where this rescissions package we have been talking about stands right now.

So originally the proposal was for $9.4 billion with a B cuts overall.

But now senators have drawn a line and it has been reduced.

Now the cut proposal is expected to be $9 billion.

What has changed?

Well, cuts have been restored, $400 million with an M in health, global health funding, and especially that includes PEPFAR, which, of course, is a global AIDS/HIV prevention and treatment program.

Now, in addition to this, I want to make one smaller note.

The White House also pledged a very small amount, relatively $9 million, for Native American radio stations.

Why does that matter?

They did that to win a vote.

It is the vote of this man, Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

He's someone who didn't like this rescissions package and, frankly, was one of the people who probably could have killed it.

But he said he got a deal for this $9 million.

It's said to affect some 28 radio stations, he told the press, across the country.

We are waiting for the first votes as soon as tonight, next few hours.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Let's talk a bit more about PEPFAR that you mentioned.

This is not a president who is known for backing down.

So what was it about PEPFAR particularly that made senators want to fight so hard for it?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right.

These Republican senators chose their battles and they chose this one.

One reason is, this is seen as one of the great bipartisan accomplishments of the modern Congress and modern presidency, the George W. Bush program from 2003.

But it is also a global success.

I want to show you in this map just how far PEPFAR reaches all around the world.

We're talking about 20 million people who get antiviral treatment, five million babies born without HIV because of the protections from PEPFAR.

And this has been just an incredible force for saying America wants to do good in the world and has helped our alliances with many countries.

Now, at the same time, the Trump administration's freezes that they had earlier this year and some of their cuts to programs have directly affected already some HIV programs, as you have been reporting, from Africa so well.

And those -- that damage is something that senators paid attention to.

They didn't believe the line from the White House that there was no damage being done at all.

So, in all, you can see that people, they're in the AIDS/HIV realm right now, this -- I'm sorry -- I'm losing my train of thought.

But right now there is a conference going on in Rwanda about this.

And we spoke to one of the American advocates, Mitchell Warren of AVAC, who says, yes, this has been a real serious situation and they have seen real damage there.

MITCHELL WARREN, Executive Director, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition: There has been disruption and chaos around PEPFAR programs since January 21, when the executive order was made public, when pauses and then terminations began to roll out.

The implications are huge for people living with HIV, who -- tens of millions of whom have benefited from PEPFAR as a lifesaving program.

LISA DESJARDINS: And that's something that's not Republicans really felt.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So this is not just about HIV and AIDS.

It would still cut other global health programs.

But you have learned that there might be a deal about that as well?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

So still in cuts are $500 million for global health -- other global health programs.

There was real concern, but I have been told by multiple sources that senators were given a guarantee by the White House that that would not include malaria programs, nutrition programs, T.B.

programs, or maternal health.

Those are all very big deals.

I asked Senator John Thune, though, what about the pushback, the concern about other global health cuts?

Here's what he said.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): A lot of these recommendations now are an implementation of what DOGE found in areas of the budget that they thought we could achieve savings, but not undermine the critical mission aspects of a lot of these -- what some of these programs do.

LISA DESJARDINS: But if you ask some nonpartisan health experts, even if you leave all of those programs, malaria, there are those things intact, they say there are still real problems.

We talked to Jen Kates at KFF, and she said this will still affect lives around the world.

JEN KATES, KFF: It just would leave quite a big gap globally because the U.S. was such a main supporter of contraceptives, commodities for low and -- for women in low- and middle-income countries.

It is not clear that there's anyone, any other government that's going real step in and make up that gap.

LISA DESJARDINS: And, of course, that family planning aspect is something conservatives oppose as well.

One other thing, what's going to happen now?

Well, it takes four votes to block this bill, four Republican votes.

Let's look at where we see -- what we see right now.

I know of two likely no's, not firm, but likely Senator Collins and Murkowski.

And now because of the events of today, about a dozen people that I was watching as possible no's have disappeared.

Right now, it looks like this rescissions package without those cuts to PEPFAR and that global health stuff, it looks like it's on track to pass, but we will watch it closely.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Lisa Desjardins, thank you so much.

LISA DESJARDINS: Thank you.