The article suggests that Congress has a more important role to play in America's fight against HIV/AIDS, as the nearly $10 billion global health budget for fiscal 2026 was approved in February. Congress has given the secretary of State just three months to submit a plan to transition the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to a model where partner countries take financial and programmatic ownership over the next few years. The America First Global Health Strategy emphasizes transitioning this and other U.S. global health programs to full partner country ownership by 2030 via individual multiyear bilateral health agreements and implementation plans. However, Congress' ambitious timelines and lack of clarity regarding the contents of these agreements have raised concerns among beneficiaries, providers and personnel. The transition plan must include data-driven programming and metrics that depend on outcomes rather than outcomes like the number of lives saved or declining rates of HIV. Once bilateral agreements expire, Congress must continue to monitor the HIV/AIDs epidemic in countries supported by the program.