Hickenlooper, Colleagues Pressure Trump Admin to Release HIV/AIDS Prevention Funding to CDC

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 13 Senate colleagues pressured the Trump administration to release funding for HIV/AIDS prevention to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The senators are urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to approve the transfer of $2 billion in funds meant for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to the CDC. “The rushed abandonment of a proven and effective structure threatens to increase the risk of future global health pandemics and disease outbreaks,” the senators wrote. “Countries are struggling to maintain the programs set up by USAID and PEPFAR funding, facing more new infections and more deaths.” This demand comes as new internal guidance by the State Department would permanently end the transfer of PEPFAR funds to the CDC. Currently, the Department of State is refusing to transfer congressionally appropriated funding to the CDC for the PEPFAR program. According to former CDC Directors, without this dedicated funding stream, more than 18 CDC outposts could close before the end of the year. President Trump has broken a legacy of U.S. global health leadership. During his second term, President Trump withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In 2003, President George W. Bush launched PEPFAR to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The PEPFAR program is credited with saving more than 26 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections, and positioned the U.S. as the global leader in HIV response. “We urge you to immediately rescind any guidance suggesting that the State will no longer honor the transfer of $2 billion to CDC and commit to upholding this long-standing transfer that keeps Americans safe,” continued the senators. Hickenlooper has fought against the Trump administration’s attempts to undermine U.S. foreign assistance. He introduced the Support UNFPA Funding Act to resume U.S. contributions to the UN agency that provides access to family planning and supports the prevention of maternal death. Hickenlooper was also a vocal critic of the Trump admin’s illegal dismantling of USAID and raised the alarm on the life-and-death consequences of these cuts. The full letter is available HERE . ###