RELEASE: Friedman Leads 23 Members of Congress Urging Release of Withheld HIV Prevention Grants as South LA Clinics Forced to Cut Services

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) is leading 23 Members of Congress urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to immediately release Congressionally appropriated funds for HIV prevention and surveillance programs — and provide clear answers on the status of these critical awards.

As a result of the stalled grants, LA County has been forced to terminate contracts with 39 community health providers, cutting off services for thousands of residents in South Los Angeles and beyond. The Los Angeles LGBT Center — located in Friedman’s district — will likely be forced to cease services including HIV testing, STD screening, PrEP navigation, and community education.

“South LA and communities across California are already feeling the devastating impacts of these withheld HIV prevention funds. These cuts aren’t just numbers — they’re shuttered clinics, canceled programs, and lives lost,” said U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30). “The Los Angeles LGBT Center, located in my district, is set to lose millions in funding — forcing them to likely cease services like HIV testing, STD screening, PrEP navigation, and community education. We will not stand by while the CDC withholds funding and leaves frontline providers in the dark.”

The signatory list of 23 Members of Congress includes Friedman (CA-30), Chu (CA-28), Cisneros (CA-31), Garcia (CA-42), Gottheimer (NJ-5), Kelly (IL-2), Krishnamoorthi (IL-8), Liccardo (CA-16), Lynch (MA-8), Moore (WI-4), Mullin (CA-15), Nadler (NY-12), Norton (DC-AL), Pelosi (CA-11), Pocan (WI-2), Stanton (AZ-4), Takano (CA-39), Titus (NV-1), Tonko (NY-20), Tran (CA-45), Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Whitesides (CA-27), and Wilson (FL-24).

MEMBERS DEMAND TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY:

• In addition to the immediate release of HIV prevention funds, the letter urges HHS and CDC to:
  • Provide direct, transparent updates to grant recipients on the status of their awards.
  • Release a public list of CDC personnel responsible for responding to grant inquiries — ensuring local agencies and nonprofits have clear, accountable points of contact. 

Full text of the letter sent to HHS Secretary Robert f. Kennedy Jr. and CDC Deputy Director Debra Houry here and below:

May 16, 2025

The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Secretary

U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Debra Houry, MD, MPH

Deputy Director

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Rd.

Atlanta, GA 30329

Dear Secretary Kennedy and Deputy Director Houry,

We write requesting clarification on the release of Congressionally appropriated funds for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and surveillance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We remain concerned about the cuts to staffing at the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention (NCHHSTP) at CDC and the reported elimination of the Division of HIV Prevention within NCHHSTP. We also request information on the appropriate personnel within CDC with whom grant recipients may communicate regarding awards.

As a result of robust funding for prevention programs, our nation has made significant progress towards the Trump Administration’s previously expressed goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. Nationally, annual HIV diagnoses have declined by 12% between 2010 and 2022, largely due to increased awareness and increased preventative measures. Eliminating federal funding for HIV prevention risks reversing our advances—and could lead to more than 143,000 additional people in the U.S. becoming infected with HIV and an additional 127,000 people dying of AIDS-related causes within five years.

Although Congress has appropriated funding for HIV prevention in Fiscal Year 2025, several grant recipients have failed to receive adequate communication from CDC regarding the status of their awards. This ambiguity has caused health departments across the country to pre-emptively terminate HIV and STD prevention contracts with local organizations due to an anticipated lack of funding.

We urge you to:

1. Release Congressionally appropriated funds for HIV prevention and surveillance programs,
2. Communicate the status of grant funding to recipients and;
3. Release a list of personnel within CDC who can provide timely responses to grant recipients about the status of their awards.

HIV prevention efforts save lives and help Americans everywhere mitigate the impact of this devastating disease on our communities. As public servants, we will continue to fight to protect funding for critical HIV prevention and surveillance programs.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, and we look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,

[SIGNED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS]