HIV FUNDING CRISIS: HOUSE ADVANCES $2B IN DEVASTATING CUTS – SAVE HIV FUNDING CAMPAIGN RESPONDS

"This Devastating Vote Puts Lives At Risk And Undermines Decades Of Bipartisan Progress In The Fight Against HIV.” 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C  – Wednesday, September 10, 2025 — Following Tuesday’s full committee markup of the FY 2026 House Labor-HHS appropriations bill, organizers of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign urge Congress to reject the catastrophic federal HIV funding cuts advanced by the House and maintain funding for HIV programs that serve individuals, families, and communities nationwide.

The legislation would erase almost $2 billion in critical federal HIV funding by zeroing out CDC prevention programs, slashing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program by $525 million, and dismantling the Trump Administration’s own Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative.

If enacted, the bill would gut America’s HIV response overnight — destabilizing clinics, shuttering community programs, and placing millions of lives at direct risk nationwide, particularly in the South and in rural America.

Statement from the Save HIV Funding Campaign:

"Today's committee vote is a devastating setback that puts hundreds of thousands of lives at risk. By voting to slash $2 billion from federal HIV programs with more than 35 years of bipartisan support, this committee has chosen to gut lifesaving services that over 500,000 people depend on for comprehensive HIV medical care and treatment.

"When over 1.2 million individuals are living with HIV and more than 500,000 depend on federal programs for lifesaving care, voting to cut $2 billion from these services isn't just bad policy—it's a failure of moral leadership.

“HIV prevention programs have revolutionized the field of public health and laid the groundwork for our responses to the opioid epidemic, Mpox, and COVID-19. We have low-cost medications that can prevent HIV infection by 99% while saving $3-7 for every dollar invested. This isn't government waste—it's targeted funding with outsized impact. By proposing to gut this funding, lawmakers are weakening America's preparedness for future health crises and playing politics with people's lives.

"With Black and Latino communities accounting for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses, these cuts are an attack on health equity. But this fight is far from over. This spending bill still must pass the full House and Senate, and we will work with our allies to fight back. We won't let them turn back the clock on decades of progress and put lives  at risk."

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Yesterday, during the House Appropriations Committee markup, Hamilton star and HIV advocate, Javier Muñoz, joined ABC’s Kyra Philips to speak about his personal experience and the potential impacts of the cuts, saying in part: “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 the full interview HERE.

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.

Inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt of the 1980s, the #CutsKill Quilt was designed and created by community members and HIV service providers from across the country and around the world, and honors lives lost while warning of the devastating impact that billions in proposed federal cuts would have on HIV prevention, treatment, housing, and care. Each panel of the #CutsKill Quilt represents programs, services, and communities currently at risk if funding is gutted.

Actors and performers Javier Muñoz and Peppermint also met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to warn against the devastating impacts of cutting HIV funding. 

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

WHAT’S AT STAKE

The House Labor-HHS bill would:

• Eliminate ALL CDC HIV prevention funding (~$1 billion), including the entire Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative — dismantling access to testing, treatment, and PrEP in every state.

• Slash $525 million from the Ryan White Program, destabilizing clinics that provide lifesaving treatment to more than 550,000 people annually.

• Zero out the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund, reversing decades of progress in equity and leaving Black, Brown, and rural communities behind.

Public health leaders warn that these cuts will reverse four decades of bipartisan progress, fuel new HIV transmissions, and deepen existing health disparities nationwide.

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.

Press Contact: 

Morrison Media Group

HQ@thetonymorrison.com

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.