Policy Updates: Hill Happenings and Administration Activities
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
On January 27, House Republicans held a three-day retreat to weigh their options to advance big-ticket legislation during the first few months of the Trump-Vance Administration, including the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) and FY2026 spending packages, resolving an upcoming debt limit deadline, and advancing President-elect Trump’s policy priorities through the budget reconciliation process. Appropriators must advance a spending bill or stopgap funding measure by March 14 or face a government shutdown.
On January 23, top appropriators from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees met to discuss a bipartisan framework for FY2025, but a budget compromise remains out of reach.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the congressional appropriations process and advocate for the highest possible funding for HIV, hepatitis, and drug user health programs.
Senate Appropriators Announce Subcommittee Rosters
On January 29, the Senate Appropriations Committee chair and ranking member announced the subcommittee rosters for the 119th Congress. The following Senators were selected for participation on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) subcommittee:
Republicans:
- Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) – Chair
- Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- John Kennedy (R-LA)
- Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
- John Boozman (R-AR)
- Katie Britt (R-AL)
- Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
- Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Democrats:
- Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) – Ranking Member
- Patty Murray (D-WA)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
- Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
- Brian Schatz (D-HI)
- Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Senate Finance, HELP Committees Hold HHS Secretary Nomination Hearings
On January 29, the Senate Finance Committee held a nomination hearing to vet the Trump Administration’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK). Additionally, on January 30, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a courtesy hearing on January 30. Senators from both parties grilled RFK for his controversial beliefs regarding vaccine safety and whether those views would inform his decision-making as HHS Secretary if confirmed. Notably, Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) questioned the extent of RFK’s anti-vaccine commitments and highlighted the safety and critical role of HBV vaccination in protecting the public health.
Administration Activities
Trump Administration Halts Federal Grant Programs and Funding, Reverses Course after Widespread Confusion and Backlash
On January 27, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum to executive agency leaders instructing them to pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” temporarily freezing federal grants and funding for hundreds of programs across the country. Additionally, federal agencies were directed to conduct “a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders” by February 10. The funding freeze was intended to ensure that federal agency workflows are aligned with the Trump Administration’s position against gender diversity, equity, and inclusion. The funding freeze caused widespread confusion and sparked fierce backlash from many stakeholders and lawmakers, who condemned the move as an unconstitutional overreach of Presidential power. On January 28, a federal judge issued an administrative stay, pausing the implementation of the funding freeze until February 3. On January 29, the Trump Administration rescinded the memorandum while maintaining that the funding freeze is still in effect for programs that do not align with President Trump’s executive orders barring “Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies.”
NASTAD Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Withdrawal from World Health Organization
On January 28, NASTAD joined a coalition of advocates and called on the Trump Administration to reconsider its decision to initiate a withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). The coalition highlighted WHO’s important role in detecting, preventing, and combating deadly diseases and outbreaks in over 150 nations. On January 27, public health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were instructed to cease communications with WHO, reflecting efforts to expedite withdrawal from WHO, which requires a one-year notice.
Resources
JAMA Viewpoint: The Future of US Sexual and Gender Minority Health Policy
“The inherent rights of sexual and gender minority (SGM) people will face intensified threats under the recently elected Trump-Vance administration. This reflects a broader pattern of increasing policy attacks on SGM health care in recent years. In this Viewpoint, we highlight major themes from the [Project 2025] policy proposals across Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) agencies, many of which represent more extreme versions of those implemented during the first Trump administration.”
GU O’Neill Institute:
- People Who Acquire HIV at Birth Need Better Support
- “People who acquire HIV from their birthing parent during pregnancy, childbirth, or during breast or chest feeding, as well as those who acquire the virus via blood transfusion before 5 years of age, are considered to be cases of perinatally-acquired HIV…It is estimated that in 2019, there were 12,355 Lifetime Survivors out of roughly 1.2 million people with HIV in the U.S.”
- Improving the Health and Safety of Transgender and Gender Expansive People
- “While there is no doubt that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people have come a long way in recent decades, the full realization of these rights is incomplete. Today, transgender and gender expansive people are experiencing a backlash that threatens their lives and weakens the bonds that hold our society together…Reframing the public dialogue around transgender and gender expansive people as part of the evolving story of America, while not a total solution may allow more people to see that, except for those seeking to exploit differences, there are few fundamental areas of conflict.”
United We Rise: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)
“National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is approaching on February 7th, and United We Rise hosts a virtual campaign each year. This campaign invites and encourages organizations to submit information about their events. If you are hosting or participating in an NBHAAD event, we encourage you to submit your event details!”
AIDSWatch 2025 Update: New Dates Announced
Updated Date: March 31 – April 2, 2025
“Over the past few days, Congress released its schedule for 2025 detailing when both the House and Senate would be in session. In an effort to ensure that AIDSWatch participants are able to meet with their elected representatives in Congress, the AIDSWatch planning partners have made the decision to shift the dates of AIDSWatch 2025 from Sunday, March 16 - Tuesday, March 18th, when Congress will not be in session, to Monday, March 31 - Wednesday, April 2nd, when Congress will be in session. We believe that this date change will allow AIDSWatch 2025 to be as impactful as possible and to maximize the ability of the HIV advocacy community to have their voices heard in the halls of Congress. If you have any questions about this date change and the ways in which it might impact your ability to participate in AIDSWatch 2025, please reach out to AIDSWatch@aidsunited.org and AIDS United staff will be happy to assist you.”
Job Postings
Patient Advocate (Community Health Educator II) - Baltimore City Health Department
Apply by: February 15
Patient advocates work in the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) Sexual Health and Wellness clinics (SHWC) and serve as a critical resource for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and those seeking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. The patient advocate role is multifaceted, encompassing nonmedical case management, insurance documentation and coordination, advocacy, education, resource coordination, and emotional support to ensure holistic care for clients irrespective of their HIV status or STI treatment and prevention needs.
Communicable Disease Epidemiologist – Cheyenne, Wyoming
This position will serve as the Communicable Disease AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Coordinator, Wyoming TB Controller, and Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) for the Communicable Disease (CD) Treatment Program. Assist in outbreak response to ensure the safety of Wyoming residents; by interviewing cases for exposure information, updating news outlets on the progress of outbreak control, and analyzing exposure data utilizing epidemiological and statistical methods.
News Bulletin
CDC site scrubs HIV content following Trump DEI policies
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday is scrubbing a swath of HIV-related content from the agency’s website as a part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to wipe out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government. The CDC’s main HIV page was down temporarily but has been restored. The CDC began removing all content related to gender identity on Friday, according to one government staffer. HIV-related pages were apparently caught up in that action.”
Trump’s Order on Gender-Affirming Care Escalates Reversal of Trans Rights
“President Donald Trump ratcheted up his administration’s reversal of transgender rights on Tuesday with an executive order that seeks to intervene in parents’ medical decisions by prohibiting government-funded insurance coverage of puberty blockers or surgery for people under 19. Trump’s order, titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” is certain to face legal challenges and would require congressional or regulatory actions to be fully enacted. But transgender people and their advocates are concerned it will nonetheless discourage prescriptions and medical procedures they consider to be lifesaving in some cases, while complicating insurance coverage for gender-affirming care.”
PEPFAR, other ‘life-saving humanitarian’ programs can operate under State Department waiver
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday issued a waiver that allows the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and other “life-saving humanitarian assistance” programs to continue to operate during the freeze on nearly all U.S. foreign aid spending. Rubio on Jan. 24 directed State Department personnel to stop nearly all U.S. foreign aid spending for 90 days in response to an executive order that President Donald Trump signed after his inauguration.”