Health
Above: Friedman listens to concerns from local healthcare providers.
GLENDALE, CA — U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) spoke with heads of local hospitals and leaders in healthcare in the first meeting of her Healthcare Advisory Committee. Topics of discussion included the impacts of Republican cuts to Medicaid and freezes in grants affecting research and prevention services.
Above: Friedman with Planned Parenthood representatives, volunteers, and West Hollywood City Councilmembers.
Above: Friedman listens to a presentation from Al Ballesteros, CEO of Wesley Health Center.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on July 29 over an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. The lawsuit, filed with 22 other states, alleges that Trump exceeded his authority by attempting to withhold Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood clinics across the state in the “Big Beautiful Bill” budget act.
After a federal judge indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a provision of the new tax cut and spending law that would cut off Medicaid funding from many Planned Parenthood affiliates, Democrats said they plan to introduce legislation that would repeal that provision entirely. |
- Garcia asserted that Kennedy has a history of spreading HIV/AIDS misinformation, and questioned whether that had played a role in billions of dollars in cuts to prevention, treatment and research funding.
- The demand for information came just after Senate Republicans excluded a White House-backed cut of $400 million in funding for HIV/AIDS programs abroad from their latest spending measure.
On Saturday, June 28, 2025, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) celebrated the release of nearly $20 million in HIV prevention investments, previously frozen by the Trump Administration, while also celebrating the anniversary of the Stonewall protests that took place 56 years ago on that date.
Rep. Friedman (CA-30) was joined by APLA Health CEO Craig Thompson and LA LGBT Chief Strategy Officer, Terra Russell-Slavin—two of the previously impacted organizations—at the APLA Health Michael Gottlieb Center in West Hollywood.