Some of our most essential federal HIV programs are in grave danger. Again. 

House Republicans just put forward a 2025 spending bill that would eliminate any chance we have of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, dismantling our federal HIV response and placing millions of people living with and vulnerable to HIV at significant risk. 

If passed, this spending bill would slash at least $524 million in spending on federal HIV programs, including: 

• Completely eliminating Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative funding within the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention.   

• Defunding the Special Projects of National Significance Program within Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.  

• Cutting over $15 million in funding for the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund and eliminating the entirety of SAMHSA Minority AIDS Initiative funding, a loss of roughly $119 million. 

Fortunately, it appears as if both Democratic and Republican senators are once again poised to demonstrate that they recognize the vital importance of funding our nation’s response to the HIV epidemic, having recently released a topline spending number for the Senate Labor, Health & Human Services appropriations bill of more than $250 billion, an increase of roughly $28 billion over last year’s final spending numbers. While we won’t know for some time the specifics of this bill, we must encourage bipartisan support for HIV funding in the Senate that not only rejects the massive and irresponsible HIV spending cuts of their House counterparts but increases support for federal HIV programming that better represents the true need for services in our community.  

While Congress is operating in a difficult fiscal environment because of recently imposed caps on federal discretionary spending that run through this year, we also know that any hope of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 is dependent upon significantly higher investment in HIV programs, nationwide. 

We can make a difference, but Congress needs to hear from you. 

Tell Congress to reject the unconscionable cuts to HIV funding proposed by House Republicans and support a bipartisan funding package in the Senate that increases federal HIV funding and allows us to continue our work supporting people living with and affected by HIV. 

We cannot end the HIV epidemic in the United States without this funding.