House funding bill would put America at risk for an HIV crisis

The FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill advanced by the House Appropriations Committee would dismantle HIV prevention and care services across the country, reversing four decades of remarkable progress in the fight against the HIV epidemic. 

The bill proposes a staggering nearly $2 billion cut to federal HIV programs and would do so by completely eliminating programs that have been pivotal to our country’s success in controlling HIV and other infectious diseases. The bill calls for ending funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV prevention program and for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants that go directly to clinics to support care and treatment, dental care and workforce programs. It would also end the highly successful Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative launched by President Trump in 2019. These unprecedented cuts go further than the President’s budget proposal and would leave communities without HIV testing programs, upend access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and leave people without access to the HIV treatment that prevents illness and death and stops HIV transmissions.  

A summary of funding levels for key public health, research and HIV-related programs in the FY 2026 House funding bill includes:  

• $525.4 million in cuts to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, lowering the total appropriation to $2 billion. The cuts come from eliminating the Early Intervention Program (Part C); Children, Youth, Women and Families Program (Part D); AIDS Education and Training Programs and dental programs (Part F); and the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. 
• CDC funding would be cut by $1.8 billion for an overall appropriation of $7.4 billion, with a majority of the savings coming from HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases prevention programs, including:  
  • The elimination of the Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research Program, funded at $755.6 million in 2025 
  • The elimination of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, funded at $220 million in 2025 
  • The block granting of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and infectious diseases and opioids programs at $300 million – a decrease of $34 million from 2025 funding levels for the three programs 
  • The elimination of the Global HIV/AIDS Program, funded at $128.9 million in 2025 
  • The elimination of the Global TB Program, funded at $11.7 million in 2025 
  • Viral hepatitis prevention funding is an anomaly and would receive a $10 million increase for a total $53 million appropriation 
• The National Institutes of Health is funded  at $46.9 billion – a $100 million increase over 2025, with a $20 million increase for the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.   

Eliminating these programs will not make HIV go away but will put millions of lives at risk by increasing new cases, delaying diagnosis and treatment access and increasing health care costs. These drastic cuts to HIV and related programs would come on top of H.R. $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program, which insures 40% of non-elderly adults with HIV.  We appeal to members of Congress to reject these dangerous cuts to programs that save lives and protect public health in communities across the country.      

See IDSA’s release for more information on funding for ID programs. 

About HIVMA 

The HIV Medicine Association is a community of more than 6,000 health care professionals who advance a comprehensive and humane response to the HIV pandemic, informed by science and social justice. HIVMA works to increase access to health care services and coverage for people with HIV and populations heavily impacted by HIV and to foster a robust, diverse and culturally competent HIV workforce. HIVMA is part of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Visit hivma.org to learn more.