Major Victory: Bipartisan FY26 Bills Reject Nearly $2B in Proposed HIV Funding Cuts
Washington D.C. – Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 – This morning, the Save HIV Funding Campaign is celebrating a major victory following the release of two bipartisan FY26 congressional appropriations bills that reject nearly $2 billion in proposed federal funding cuts to HIV and related programs.
A Jan. 20 bill draft obtained by the Save HIV Funding Campaign is available HERE
The bills are a result of hundreds of meetings with policymakers, millions of media impressions, and thousands of calls mobilized by the Save HIV Funding campaign and its partners. As of now, the critical FY26 appropriations bills appear to be on track to pass before the end of the month. Save HIV Funding co-implementing organizations PrEP4All, AVAC, and HIVMA are grateful for the significant advocacy of people living with and vulnerable to HIV, HIV/AIDS services and medical providers, researchers, and advocates - as well as bipartisan leaders in Congress - whose collective efforts resulted in robust resources for effective, cost-efficient, and life-saving HIV programs.
This result is a dramatic conclusion to a year of unprecedented attacks on vital funds for people living with or vulnerable to HIV. In May of last year, President Trump appeared to turn away from his 2019 pledge to end HIV as an epidemic, instead calling for the elimination of HIV prevention at CDC and housing services as part of his budget request to Congress. House appropriators, led by the House majority, followed suit calling for an even larger $2 billion cut, including $525m in funds for medical and support services for people living with HIV. While Senate appropriators chose to maintain level funding in their version of the spending bills, advocates had feared that final funding could result in cuts that would dramatically reduce services, drive up new HIV cases, and lead to more AIDS-related deaths. The final bill represents a best-case scenario with funding allocations mirroring the Senate’s proposed FY26 spending levels.
As Congress looks toward the start of the FY27 appropriations process, the Save HIV Funding Campaign will turn its attention to maintaining federal funding and programs and advocating for increases that keep up with healthcare inflation, which has increased by over 6% since 2023. Advocates will also remain vigilant to ensure that FY26 HIV spending is implemented as intended by Congress.
Actor and Activist Javier Muñoz, who appeared earlier this week on CNN to speak out against federal funding cuts and discriminatory policies being reinstated by the Pentagon, shared this update and thanked members of the Save HIV Campaign this morning:
Statement by Maxx Boykin, Manager, Save HIV Funding Campaign: “Every advocate who showed up to one of our #CutsKill Quilt events, who called, wrote, and met with their members of Congress, who took their story to the media– should feel incredibly proud of this victory. But HIV advocacy isn’t just one funding battle; it’s a movement, and we are ready to track these funds as they are implemented and fight for an FY27 budget that gets us back on track to ending the HIV epidemic and supporting those living with HIV. The Save HIV Funding Campaign stands firmly behind our community members who continue to fight for their lives nationwide.”
Statement by Jeremiah Johnson, Executive Director, PrEP4All and Co-Founder, Save HIV Funding Campaign: “These victories don’t just happen. They are the result of affected communities coming together week after week to raise their voices in opposition to those who would take away lifesaving funding that keeps us and our loved ones safe and healthy. Over the past year, I have been asked repeatedly by stakeholders in our movement what advocates can possibly do in the face of such drastic attacks. Today’s victory is proof of the ongoing power of this intersectional advocacy community. Shed your doubts, quit holding back, and join us as we drive onward to a day where this epidemic is ended for every community in America.”
Statement from Suraj Madoori, Director of Policy Advocacy, AVAC and Co-Founder, Save HIV Funding Campaign: “By counteracting deep proposed cuts by the administration to global HIV funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in last week’s National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) conference agreement and winning increases across major domestic HIV priorities including research - the Save HIV Funding campaign has proven that the history of our movement brings the community energy, advocacy strategy, and bold tactics needed to win a vision to end the epidemic everywhere. These crucial wins for global and domestic HIV now require us to not hold back, and urge Congress to swiftly approve all the FY26 bills, push the President to sign them, and for us to ensure accountability in the administration to spend and implement this lifesaving funding as instructed by the people and those who represent us in Washington, D.C.”
Despite the victory, the threat of FY26 funding cuts has already had negative downstream effects, as advocates staged a rally in Tallahassee, Florida, today to oppose proposed changes to the state’s federally funded AIDS Drug Assistance Program. The modifications would remove at least 16,000 people living with HIV from an HIV program that provides access to life-saving medication and coverage. The Save HIV Funding Campaign stands with the HIV community and its advocates in Florida who are fighting to restore access to essential medication and services.
A Jan. 20 bill draft obtained by the Save HIV Funding Campaign is available HERE
HIV FUNDING FAST FACTS
To support reporters covering the urgent policy landscape, the campaign is releasing the following Fact Sheet outlining the impact, scale, and human stakes of ongoing funding threats:
- 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 vulnerability of HIV by 99%. Rolling back funding would increase new HIV cases 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 Latine communities account for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses. Protecting these funds is about protecting racial and health equity.
Additional State-by-State Resources & Fact Sheets
Press Contact:
Morrison Media Group Press Team
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.
