“HAMILTON” STAR JAVIER MUÑOZ TO ABC NEWS: AN HIV-FREE GENERATION IS WITHIN REACH — BUT CONGRESS IS TRYING TO TAKE THAT AWAY
- Morrison Media HQ
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
Javier Muñoz, Who Spent Last Week On Capitol Hill With Lawmakers, Sounds the Alarm In Powerful Interview with ABC’s Kyra Phillips As $2B In Federal HIV Cuts Loom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday, September 9, 2025 – Today, organizers of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign are calling attention to a deeply personal and emotional interview by Hamilton star and HIV advocate, Javier Muñoz with ABC’s Kyra Philips on ABC News Live. Muñoz warned that Congress’s proposed $2B cuts in critical federal HIV funding will kill. Devastating cuts on the FY 2026 House Labor-HHS appropriations bill include: zeroing out CDC prevention programs, slashing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $525 million, and dismantling the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative.
“We’re on the verge. We’re so close to seeing an end to this epidemic in our country — to seeing our first HIV-free generation,” Muñoz said. “And the House is proposing to gut prevention and treatment programs that we need desperately.”
Muñoz shared his own journey living with HIV since 2002, underscoring the lifesaving impact of federally funded treatment and prevention programs. Once forced to endure complex daily regimens with multiple pills and brutal side effects, he now takes one pill a day; progress he credits entirely to ongoing research and federal support.
“Thanks to years of investment, we’ve gone from taking handfuls of medications to now being on the verge of prevention tools that could end new infections,” Muñoz explained. “Two injections a year can literally protect someone from acquiring HIV. That’s how close we are — and these cuts would put it all at risk.”
MUÑOZ ON THE HUMAN COST:
Last week, organizers of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign unveiled the #CutsKill Quilt on Capitol Hill as a powerful protest demanding urgent Congressional action to stop the proposed $2 billion in cuts to federal HIV programs in the FY 2026 House Labor-HHS appropriations bill.
“Each panel of the Cuts Kill Quilt tells the story of what will happen if these programs are gutted. We’re talking about tens of thousands of new infections — we will watch people die in AIDS wards again. This is not hyperbole, this is reality.”
MUÑOZ ON BIPARTISAN RESPONSIBILITY:
“I don’t believe there are many people in this country untouched by HIV — whether it’s a loved one, a friend, or someone in your community,” he said. “This isn’t a numbers game — this is about people’s lives. For decades, this issue has united both parties, and it needs to again. It’s the government’s job to protect its people, not expose us to life-and-death situations.”
WATCH, SHARE & COVER THE INTERVIEW
📺 ABC News Live with Javier Muñoz & ABC’s Kyra Philips
HIV FUNDING FAST FACTS:
State-by-State Resources & Fact Sheets HERE
Federal HIV programs have more than 35 years of bipartisan support: In 2003, President George W. Bush created PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which has saved 25 million lives worldwide. Domestically, Bush signed reauthorizations of the Ryan White CARE Act, expanding federal support for HIV care. Protecting HIV funding has historically been a bipartisan commitment to public health and stability.
Federal HIV programs are cost-effective: Every $1 invested in HIV prevention saves the health care system $3 to $7 in future treatment costs. Cuts would increase long-term spending.
Medicaid is the largest source of coverage for people with HIV in the U.S., covering roughly 40% of people living with HIV. Medicaid expansion has been associated with a 33% increase in PrEP prescriptions. Cuts to HIV funding would have ripple effects across the entire Medicaid system, limiting access to care for millions of low-income Americans.
HIV care is part of the U.S. health care system: Federal HIV funding supports access to preventive care, primary care, mental health services, housing, and medications. Cutting these funds would destabilize programs millions of Americans depend on — including those living with chronic conditions, low income families, and uninsured people.
Over 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and over 500,000 rely on federal programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for lifesaving medication and care.
HIV prevention funding protects everyone: The federal government funds access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily medication that reduces the risk of HIV infection by 99%. Rolling back funding would increase new HIV infections and long-term costs to the health care system.
HIV funding is about more than one disease: These programs create a blueprint for coordinated, federally funded responses to health crises — from the opioid epidemic to COVID-19. Gutting HIV funding would weaken America’s preparedness for future public health threats.
HIV funding protects vulnerable communities: Black and Latino communities account for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses. Protecting these funds is about protecting racial and health equity.
Quilt PHOTOS – courtesy Getty Images for Save HIV Funding campaign HERE
Rally VIDEO – courtesy Save HIV Funding Campaign HERE
Additional Photos and Videos from the week HERE
Press Contact:
Morrison Media Group
About the Save HIV Funding Campaign:
Launched in 2023 by PrEP4All, AVAC, and the HIV Medicine Association in partnership with the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, the Save HIV Funding campaign is supported by over 150 national and local organizations. The campaign began in response to proposed Congressional cuts to federal HIV programs and successfully helped avert $1.5 billion in domestic HIV funding cuts.
In early 2025, the campaign expanded in response to the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to dismantle essential HIV services and infrastructure. Today, Save HIV Funding continues to mobilize advocates, patients, healthcare providers, and public figures to ensure access to lifesaving care for everyone impacted by HIV.
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