Advocates from Ohio traveled to Washington, D.C. in early September to take part in direct action to protect HIV funding, meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and join the U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS, bringing the voices of people living with HIV and those working in the field to the national stage.
As part of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign, organizers unveiled the #CutsKill Quilt on Capitol Hill, providing a striking visual protest demanding urgent Congressional action to stop the proposed $2 billion in cuts to federal HIV programs in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 House Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill.
Broadway Hamilton star and HIV advocate Javier Muñoz stood alongside community leaders and people living with HIV, sharing his personal story and warning of the devastating consequences of the proposed cuts:
I don’t believe there are many people in this country untouched by HIV—whether it’s a loved one, a friend, or someone in your community,” he said. “This isn’t a numbers game—this is about people’s lives. For decades, this issue has united both parties, and it needs to again. It’s the government’s job to protect its people, not expose us to life-and-death situation
A quilt of protest and remembrance
Inspired by the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, the #CutsKill Quilt was created by community members and HIV service providers from across the United States and beyond. Each panel honors lives lost and symbolizes programs, services, and communities now at risk. Organizers stressed that billions in proposed cuts would severely undermine HIV prevention, treatment, housing, and care.
Community leaders and public officials from Ohio highlighted the local impact, with more than 25,000 people living with HIV in Ohio.
Advocates warned that reduced Medicaid, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and other HIV funding would push people off their life-saving medications and cause them to delay treatment until crises force them into emergency rooms. This would increase costs for already strained hospitals and clinics, while worsening health outcomes and causing preventable deaths from AIDS.
In addition to attending the quilt unveiling, Ohio constituents visited legislative offices on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to reject the unacceptable cuts to HIV funding proposed by the House and support the bipartisan funding package put forth in the Senate that would keep HIV funding stable and allow lifesaving services to continue.
In Ohio, the severe FY 26 cuts to federal HIV funding proposed by the House include:
- Eliminating the 2019 Trump Administration Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton counties
- Eliminating CDC HIV Prevention funds
- Eliminating Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Parts C, D, and F
- Slashing the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund
A threat to health equity
Advocates with the Save HIV Funding Campaign emphasized the inequities at stake:
With Black and Latino communities accounting for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses, these cuts are an attack on health equity. But this fight is far from over. This spending bill still must pass the full House and Senate, and we will work with our allies to fight back. We won't let them turn back the clock on decades of progress and put lives at risk.
For more than 35 years, federal HIV programs have enjoyed bipartisan support. Today, HIV prevention and care are integral parts of the US health care system. We know that housing is health care and treatment is prevention. Ohio cannot afford to lose these lifesaving, cost-effective federal resources, and we must fight to protect them.
Photos credit: Paul Morigi | Getty Images for Save HIV Funding
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