Policy Updates: Hill Happenings and Administration Activities
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
On January 23, top appropriators from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees met to discuss a bipartisan framework to advance the fiscal year 2025 (FY2025) spending package by the deadline afforded by the current continuing resolution (CR). On December 21, 2024, Congress passed a stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown and push the deadline to finalize FY2025 spending bills to March 14, 2025. Republicans are now mapping their approach to pass the FY2025 spending bill and other big-ticket legislation during the first few months of the Trump-Vance Administration, including the FY2026 spending package, resolving an upcoming debt limit deadline, and advancing President-elect Trump’s policy priorities through the budget reconciliation process.
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 Finance, HELP Committees Schedule HHS Secretary Nomination Hearings
On January 22, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID) announced that the Trump Administration’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK), would face his first nomination hearing on Wednesday, January 29. Additionally, on January 23, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced that it would its nomination hearing on January 30. RFK is expected to be grilled by lawmakers on his controversial beliefs regarding vaccine safety and whether he would push to restrict access to reproductive health services.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Protect Medicaid Program
On January 23, NASTAD joined a coalition of over 115 organizations to call on Congress to protect the Medicaid program from budget cuts and provisions meant to limit eligibility and coverage. In particular, the coalition highlighted the impact of Medicaid expansion on reducing uninsurance rates and strengthening the provider workforce. Additionally, the coalition highlighted the cost savings that health systems have been able to accrue due to flexible financing structures that are available through the Medicaid program. Republicans may opt to cut Medicaid funding and restrict coverage in order to pay for Trump Administration policy priorities, such as expanded immigration enforcement and revised tax structures.
Administration Activities
Trump Administration Directs HHS to Pause Agency-wide Health Communications
On January 21, the Acting Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) instructed all federal health agencies to temporarily pause public messaging and appearances until they have been reviewed and approved by a Presidential appointee. The directive, which is in place through February 1, included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) publication, pausing the journal for the first time in its 60-year history.
Trump Administration Names Acting CDC Director
On January 23, the Trump Administration announced that Susan Monarez would serve as Acting Director of CDC while nominee David Weldon awaits Senate confirmation. Prior to joining CDC, Monarez served as the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) since January 2023. She has also served on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Security Council, and several roles at the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate has not yet scheduled confirmation hearings to advance the nomination of David Weldon, a physician and former US House Representative (R-FL-15).
Resources
KFF: U.S. Withdrawal from the World Health Organization: What’s At Stake?
“As expected, President Trump signed a “day-one” executive order (EO) on January 20, 2025, announcing his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO)… What will this mean?”
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
Trump’s Early Health Moves Signal Intent To Erase Biden’s Legacy. What’s Next Is Unclear.
“President Donald Trump’s early actions on health care signal his likely intention to wipe away some Biden-era programs to lower drug costs and expand coverage under public insurance programs. The orders he issued soon after reentering the White House have policymakers, health care executives, and patient advocates trying to read the tea leaves to determine what’s to come. The directives, while less expansive than orders he issued at the beginning of his first term, provide a possible road map that health researchers say could increase the number of uninsured Americans and weaken safety-net protections for low-income people.”
Dr. Rachel Levine focused on her job at HHS. Still, anti-trans politics followed her
“In 2021, the country had one state with a ban on gender-affirming care for youth on the books — Arkansas. In March of the same year, Dr. Rachel Levine won confirmation by the Senate to lead the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps as the assistant secretary for health. She holds the rank of admiral. Levine is the highest ranking, out transgender person ever to serve in the federal government. In the nearly four years that she's been at the Department of Health and Human Services, there has been an explosion in anti-trans legislation. Twenty-five more states followed Arkansas in banning gender-affirming care for youth. Other laws focus on bathroom use in schools and public buildings, or bar transgender kids from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity."
Maryland Lawmakers Renew Push for Overdose Prevention Centers
“Urged on by the mayor at the epicenter of the nation’s overdose crisis, a Maryland lawmaker has launched a renewed bid to legalize overdose prevention centers (OPC) statewide. On January 8, state Senator Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County) reintroduced a bill that would permit six OPC in places with high rates of overdose deaths. Although OPC have been proven to prevent deaths and bring many other public health benefits, previous iterations of the bill have repeatedly died in committee over the years… The bill will soon be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee, and a companion bill will be introduced in the House.”