West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson came out strongly against the threat of cuts in federal HIV/AIDS funding. (photo by Edwin Folven)

A contingent of House Republicans are seeking to cut $747 million from the federal HIV/AIDS programming budget for the 2024 fiscal year. Sixty bipartisan members of Congress, led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), are asking for the funding to be restored, so that work with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and other similar initiatives can continue.

“[The AIDS Relief plan] and Ryan White [HIV/AIDS Program] have helped to establish testing centers to identify HIV infections, and it has encouraged other preventative measures, such as safer sex practices. These programs are important throughout our county and the entire world,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, said. “Without full congressional reauthorization, organizations that deliver lifesaving drug treatment and other forms of support to people living with HIV will have to curtail their work. Programs that provide care to orphans and other vulnerable children will lose funding.”

In recent years, the fight against HIV/AIDS has received boosts from the development of preventative pre- and post-exposure medications. Recently, the California state legislature passed a law that will make PrEP drugs available at pharmacies without a prescription. Coinciding with the increased availability of the medications, HIV diagnoses have steadily declined. Similarly, proper treatment plans have increasingly prevented those living with HIV from progressing to AIDS.

“It’s amazing to me that Republicans claim to be ‘pro-life’ when their policies increase death and suffering among our most vulnerable communities,” Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, 13th District, said.

While Los Angeles County has robust resources to help assist in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, including through organizations like the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a significant cut to federal funding could have far-reaching consequences.

“We support Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ fight to preserve federal AIDS funding. It would be penny wise and pound foolish to undo the amazing progress that has been made in combatting HIV in America,” AHF president and co-founder Michael Weinstein said. “Republicans should remember that it was former President Trump who inaugurated the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. program. With 500,000 people living with HIV still not in regular treatment, it would be a tragic mistake to take our foot off the gas now.”

“The United States would send a chilling message that the global fight against HIV/AIDS no longer remains a bipartisan priority, and that these programs will become yet another lightning rod in this country’s ongoing culture war,” Horvath said.

Regardless of outcome, West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson assured that his city will remain a supportive sanctuary for those in need.

“Republicans will do anything and everything to continue their downward spiral of hurting communities and those that need government and government subsidies,” Erickson said. “The city of West Hollywood will always do all that we can to safeguard policies and provide social services to the most at risk communities. And we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on this because we cannot go back on the progress we’ve made for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.”

The deadline for the United States Congress to pass the budget is March 1. Negotiations remain ongoing.