Policy Updates: Hill Happenings and Administration Activities
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
Republicans are charting their approach to handle upcoming big-ticket legislation during the first few months of the Trump-Vance Administration, including the fiscal year 2025 (FY2025) and FY2026 spending packages, an upcoming debt limit deadline, and advancing President Trump’s policy priorities. On December 21, 2024, Congress passed a bipartisan stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown and push the deadline to finalize FY2025 spending bills to March 14, 2025.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the congressional appropriations process and advocate for the highest possible funding for HIV, hepatitis, and drug user health programs.
Lawmakers Finalize the House Appropriations Committee Rosters
On January 15, House Congressional Appropriations Committee leaders announced the subcommittee rosters for the 119th Congress. The following Representatives were selected for participation on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) subcommittee:
- Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) – Chair
- Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02)
- Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01)
- Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03)
- Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-02)
- Rep. Julia Letlow (LA-05) – Vice Chair
- Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09)
- Rep. Jake Ellzey (TX-06)
- Rep. Stephanie Bice (OK-05)
- Rep. Riley Moore (WV-02)
- Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) – Ranking Member
- Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
- Mark Pocan (WI-02)
- Lois Frankel (FL-22)
- Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
- Josh Harder (CA-09)
- Madeleine Dean (PA-04)
Administration Activities
President Trump Issues Executive Order Limiting Federal Recognition of Gender Minorities
On January 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term to serve as the 47th President of the United States of America. Among a slew of first-day executive actions, Trump issued an executive order proclaiming that the US government will only recognize two sexes, male and female, and orders all federal agencies and operating divisions to rescind guidance that include nonbinary and transgender people. On January 21, advocates called out the Administration’s removal of federal content and resources that are focused on LGBTQ people and HIV. The new policy could have an immediate impact on people in prisons, migrant shelters, and rape shelters, and will have downstream impacts on the ability of health programs to serve nonbinary and transgender people. Additionally, Trump issued a separate executive order to terminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government.
Trump Picks Interim HHS Secretary as Senate Processes Cabinet Nominations
On January 20, the White House announced that Dorothy Fink will serve as interim U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary while nominee Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) awaits Senate confirmation. Fink served as the Director of the HHS Office on Women’s Health and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health before assuming the interim leadership role in the Trump Administration. RFK’s bid for the HHS Secretary role faces an uncertain future after key Republicans have not committed to vote to confirm his nomination.
One of the Senate’s first orders of business is to advance President Trump’s nominations for Cabinet members and other high-ranking officials. On January 20, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was unanimously confirmed as the Secretary of State. Senators are expected to hold confirmation hearings for nominees to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and Central Intelligence Agency next. Notably, 2025 marks the first year that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director role will require Senate confirmation.
HHS Releases Updated Clinical and Programmatic Guidance to Improve HIV Care through Medicaid Programs
On January 15, HHS released the Opportunities to Improve HIV Testing, Prevention, and Care Delivery for Medicaid and CHIP Beneficiaries bulletin. The 2025 informational bulletin builds on 2016 guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), CDC, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Each section of the bulletin provides updates on clinical guidelines and innovation, followed by a summary of applicable federal requirements and strategies that state Medicaid programs may undertake. The bulletin can support states in addressing issues raised in two reports from the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), published in 2023 and 2024. These reports highlighted opportunities to strengthen care coordination and improve viral load suppression monitoring through data integration. Existing Medicaid authorities, such as managed care contracts and section 1115 demonstrations, can be used by states to address identified gaps while promoting whole person care.
PEPFAR Director Returns to Agency
In January 2025, CDC Director Mandy Cohen announced that John Nkengasong, US Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, would return to the health agency from the Department of State. Former President Biden nominated Nkengasong to lead the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program in 2021, replacing Deborah Birx. Nkengasong confirmed that he would resign from this leadership role after the start of the Trump Administration, which is required for political appointees during a Presidential transition. The future of the PEPFAR program is uncertain after Republicans increased scrutiny of the program over abortion services and signal a possible refusal to fund and reauthorize the program, which expires on March 25.
Resources
HHS OIDP 2025 Theme: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities
“The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations and American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Since 1985, OMH has provided resources and information that support the success, sustainability, and sharing of health disparity reducing policies, programs, and practices. In honor of the OMH mission, the following theme will be used for calendar year 2025: Advancing Commitments to Eliminate Health Disparities. OMH encourages public, community, and nonprofit private organizations to adopt this theme in their 2025 communication efforts to advance their commitments to eliminate health disparities.”
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
Director of the Ryan White Office of Support—Harris County, TX
The Director serves as the liaison between the County Judge and the Houston EMA Ryan White Planning Council (RWPC), providing support to the Council and direct supervision to its staff as they fulfill their legislatively mandated responsibilities within the Ryan White Part A Program. The Director also works closely with Harris County Public Health/Ryan White Grant Administration (the Grant Administrator), other elected and appointed officials, service providers, community leaders, Persons Living with HIV (PLWH), and others within the six-county service area. Apply by January 17, 2025.
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, analyzing exposure data utilizing epidemiological and statistical methods.
News Bulletin
Gilead Sciences, US government settle patent case over HIV prevention drugs
“Gilead Sciences and the U.S. government have settled a billion-dollar patent dispute over Gilead's HIV prevention drugs Truvada and Descovy, according to a Wednesday filing in Delaware federal court. The settlement follows a victory for Gilead in a 2023 jury trial on the government's patent infringement allegations…The lawsuit claimed Gilead "exaggerated" its role in developing the drug's HIV-prevention regimen, known as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, ignored the CDC's contributions and refused to license the CDC's patents.”
An NYC nonprofit has reversed 1,700 overdoses since 2021. Under Trump, it faces an uncertain future
“The care and guidance available to Shawn at OnPoint may soon be threatened. Harm reduction, the approach of providing judgment-free services meant to preserve drug users’ well-being without pressuring them to stop consuming, faces an uncertain political future in 2025. Even beyond typical conservative criticisms, local officials in deep-blue cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco have blamed harm reduction for the cities’ continued drug crises and, in some cases, moved to roll back some harm reduction policies.”
Fauci says he will accept preemptive pardon from Biden
“Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told The Hill on Monday that he intends to accept the pardon preemptively offered to him by President Biden. Fauci said in an email that the White House approached him about the pardon about a month ago and that he did not ask for one. His pardon covers any offenses from Jan. 1, 2014, to Sunday that are related to his service as NIAID director, a member of the White House’s COVID-19 task force or response team or as chief medical adviser to the president.”
Biden says the Equal Rights Amendment is law. What happens next is unclear
“President Biden on Friday declared that he considers the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution "the law of the land," a surprising declaration that does not have any formal force of effect, but that was celebrated by its backers in a rally in front of the National Archives. The amendment would need to be formally published or certified to come into effect by the national archivist, Colleen Shogan — and when or if that will happen is unclear.”